Horse in York County put down after contracting mosquito-borne EEE
Harrison Thorp 11:06 a.m.
AUGUSTA, Maine - The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting today that a horse in York County was euthanized on Friday after it tested positive for the mosquito-borne viral disease Eastern Equine Encephalitis. The horse had not been vaccinated against the disease, the agency said. It is the first detected case of EEE in a horse in Maine since 2013. In a Sept. 7 issue of The Lebanon Voice, precursor to The Rochester Voice that same year, it was noted that mosquitoes bearing the illness had been found in a Lebanon test pool as well as in pools in Greenland, N.H. According to the national Center for Disease Control, the Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. It is rare in humans, and only a few cases are reported in the United States each year. Most cases occur in the Atlantic and Gulf Coast states. Most persons infected with triple-E suffer no symptoms, but severe cases involving encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain, begin with the sudden onset of headache, high fever, chills, and vomiting. In these more severe cases, the disease is fatal about a third of the time. The most acute form of the disease only presents symptoms in about four to five percent of infections, according to the CDC. In September 2012 the death of 30 pheasants in Lebanon was attributed to triple-E. The same year a Vermont man died from triple-E, and there were also several human infections in Massachusetts, but none proved fatal. A vaccine for EEE and West Nile virus is available for horses, according to health officials, who note that horses who have not been vaccinated in the last six months should get an initial shot or a booster. The disease can also attack specialty livestock, like llamas, alpacas, emus, ostriches and other farm-raised birds, such as pheasants, quail and ducks. Below are answers to commonly asked questions about triple-E from the Maine CDC. 1) What is Eastern Equine Encephalitis?
2) How is Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus spread to humans?
3) Who is at risk of getting Eastern Equine Encephalitis?
4) What are some of the signs of Eastern Equine Encephalitis?
5) How soon do signs of Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus infection appear?
6) How is Eastern Equine Encephalitis diagnosed?
7) What is the treatment for Eastern Equine Encephalitis?
8) Is there a vaccine I can get for Eastern Equine Encephalitis?
9) Is the risk of getting infected with Eastern Equine Encephalitis getting higher or lower each year?
10) What time of year am I most likely to get infected with Eastern Equine Encephalitis?
11) How can I protect myself and my family from getting infected with Eastern Equine Encephalitis?
Use insect repellent that contain DEET Wear long-sleeved shirts, pants and socks when outdoors Install or repair window screens Avoid being outdoors at dawn or dusk Drain standing water More information about personal protection can be found by going to the federal CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov/EasternEquineEncephalitis/gen/qa.html#. 12) Do all mosquitoes spread Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus?
13) Where do mosquitoes live and breed?
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