According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE or triple E) virus is a rare, but serious disease with a 30% mortality rate if contracted and many survivors are left with chronic neurological problems. Getting bit by an infected mosquito spreads EEE and can also be carried by horses, birds and other mammals.
Symptoms could include behavioral changes, diarrhea, drowsiness, fever, headache, joint pains, muscle aches, seizures and vomiting. The virus moves quickly through the body, can inflame the brain, and cause inflammation in the membranes around the spinal cord and brain.
EEE has taken the life of one reportedly healthy 41-year-old male in New Hampshire and the disease took his life within a week of contracting it.
Most cases are occurring on the Gulf Coast and eastern states, which include: New Jersey, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont and Wisconsin have reported human cases. Many of these states have begun spraying neighborhoods with mosquito repellent trying to get the mosquito population under control.
It is recommended for all citizens to use an EPA registered insect repellent, wear long sleeves and pants, limit your outdoor activities from dusk to dawn and remove any standing water around your home.
By - FZ
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