What is equine encephalitis (EEE)?

After confirmation of Eastern equine encephalitis in three Pennsylvania counties, the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Agriculture issued a warning.

Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is a rare but serious disease that lives in birds and can be transmitted to horses and humans by mosquitoes.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health offers more information about the disease and what you can do to prevent it.

What is Eastern equine encephalitis?

Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is a rare but serious disease caused by a virus. The virus infects birds that live in freshwater swamps and is transmitted from bird to bird by infected mosquitoes. If a mosquito infected with the virus bit a horse or a human, the animal or the person may get sick. The risk of obtaining IAS is highest from late July to September.

What are the symptoms of EEE?

The first symptoms of EEE are high fever (103 to 106 ° F), stiff neck, headache and lack of energy. These symptoms appear three to ten days after someone has been bitten by an infected mosquito. Inflammation and swelling of the brain, called encephalitis, can develop. The disease worsens rapidly and some patients risk falling into a coma in less than a week.

How is EEE diagnosed?

A definitive diagnosis of the EEE disease requires samples to be collected for laboratory diagnosis. Blood or cerebrospinal fluid can be sent to a laboratory and examined for genetic evidence of the virus, to isolate the virus in culture or to test the body's immune response to infection (antibody search) .

What is the treatment for EEE?

There is no cure for EEE and three people with the disease die. All health professionals treat the symptoms of infection by reducing the patient's fever and easing the pressure on the brain. Aspirin should be avoided. Hospitalization is often necessary. Some people who survive this illness will be permanently disabled. Few people recover completely.

How is the EEA spread?

The virus responsible for the EEE is transmitted only by mosquitoes. People and horses with EEE do not spread the disease.

How common are EEE in Pennsylvania?

EEE is very rare. Since 1964, only 2 human cases have been reported in Pennsylvania, one in 1968 and one in 1979.

What can I do to prevent EEE infection?

The best way to protect yourself in areas with EEE is to prevent infected mosquitoes from biting you. Therefore, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) recommends that children and adults routinely carry a mosquito repellent outside during the mosquito season from April to October, especially at dusk and at dawn, when many species of mosquitoes are actively feeding. In addition, the insect repellent must contain DEET and be applied according to the written instructions of the manufacturer.

What can I do to reduce the number of mosquitoes around my home?

Remember that mosquitoes lay in all stagnant water that can stay longer than four days, and that adult mosquitoes emerging from any water seek out the nearest man for their first blood meal. Here are some simple protective measures that can be taken:

a. Maintain good screens on windows and doors to prevent infected mosquitoes from entering.

b. Regularly empty the outer containers or drill drainage holes at the bottom.

vs. Flip pools and plastic wheelbarrows when you are not using them.

re. Clean clogged gutters that could allow rainwater to form.

e. Do not let water stagnate either in bird baths or in ornamental ponds.

F. Clean and chlorinate pools and remove stagnant water from covers.

boy Wut. Use landscaping to eliminate stagnant water that accumulates around the house regularly.

h. Remove discarded tires from your property as they provide excellent habitat for larvae.

I. For stagnant water that can not be eliminated, residents can buy tablets of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) or Bacillus sphaericus (Bsp) in any lawn and garden store. After throwing such a tablet into the water, the bacteria will infect and kill the mosquito larvae present, but the water will remain safe for people, pets, aquatic life and plants.

For more information on spraying adult mosquitoes:
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For more information on Eastern Equine Encephalitis:
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