Eastern Equine Encephalitis – What is it And Should You Be Concerned?
With an average of 7 cases in the U,S. annually. Why all the hype?
A flurry of attention has recently surrounded a rare but debilitating mosquito-borne illness. Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) has caught media attention as towns across New England are on high alert and have been issuing curfews and lockdowns (“enforce” voluntary lockdowns - Right out of Orwell’s 1984 playbook- doublespeak at its finest)
There have been six confirmed cases and one death of a healthy 41-year-old man in New Hampshire from the virus.
Human cases have been found in Wisconsin, New York, New Jersey, Vermont, and Massachusetts.
What you need to know
So far 6 cases of EEE for 2024 compared to West Nile Virus which has 289 cases recorded.
This is a very rare albeit deadly illness
- On average, the U.S. experiences only 7 human cases per year.
- Most people infected do not develop symptoms.
- Incubation: 4-10 days from the time of infected mosquito bite to onset of illness.
- Symptoms: fever, chills, body aches that last 1-2 weeks. Most people recover if there is no neurological involvement.
- Neurological involvement can include meningitis, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, drowsiness, behavior changes, and coma.
- About 30 percent of those who develop severe neurological symptoms die. Death occurs 2-10 days after onset of symptoms. Those who recover suffer long-term neurological physical problems, ranging from personality disorders, seizures, paralysis, and more.
- Only supportive care is offered if it is contracted. (There is a vaccine for horses, but none for humans) Over-the-counter medications for aches and fever unless neurological symptoms develop.
- It isn’t contagious- You only catch EEE through the bite of a mosquito.
- People, mammals (horses, dogs, cats, etc.), and birds can contract EEE.
- Outbreaks aren’t uncommon. Since its discovery in 1933, outbreaks have occurred in a cyclical pattern.
- The largest human outbreak in 50 years was in 2019. There were 38 human cases including 12 deaths.
- Data indicates when there is a regional spread in the Northeast outbreaks mostly originate in Massachusetts.
- High-risk populations for severe illness include older adults with weaker immune systems and children under 15 years old.
- Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) is considered a potential bioterror weapon. (2)
Could Aerial Spray for EEE be overkill?
Prevention for all mosquito-borne illnesses
The best way to reduce the risk of getting bit:
- Avoid high-risk times when mosquitos are the most active. This is mostly early morning and around sunset.
- Keep areas free of standing water on your property. This includes gutters, buckets, tarps, kid’s toys, and covering swimming pools to prevent mosquitoes from laying their eggs in the water.
- Use insect repellant on your body and clothing.
- Products that contain DEET are highly effective in repelling mosquitoes. In some cases, you may want to avoid using it directly on your skin. Spraying on clothing and covering arms, legs and wearing a hat sprayed with DEET is one way to avoid direct contact. Pairing this with effective essential oils used topically can help provide the barrier needed to avoid getting bit.
- Eight EOs including cinnamon, marjoram, lemongrass, bay, chamomile, jasmine, peppermint, and thyme have demonstrated the ability to repel mosquitoes for 30 minutes in one test. (3)
Our organic essential oil kit contains the oils you need to make your own mosquito repellant. Always use a carrier oil when applying directly on the skin as these oils are highly concentrated. You can also use these oils in a diffuser to keep mosquitos at bay,
Avoid using near eyes and around pets.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). About Eastern Equine Encephalitis. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Retrieved September 1, 2024, from https://www.cdc.gov/eastern-equine-encephalitis/about/index.html
- Sah Ranjit , Siddiq Abdelmonem , Al-Ahdal Tareq , Maulud Sazan Qadir , Mohanty Aroop , Padhi Bijaya Kumar , El-Shall Nahed A. , Chandran Deepak , Emran Talha Bin , Hussein Nawfal R. , Dhama Kuldeep , Satapathy Prakasini The emerging scenario for the Eastern equine encephalitis virus and mitigation strategies to counteract this deadly mosquito-borne zoonotic virus, the cause of the most severe arboviral encephalitis in humans—an update Frontiers in TropicalDiseases32023URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/
Tropical diseases/articles/10.3389/fitd.2022.1077962DOI=10.3389/fitd
2022.1077962 ISSN=2673-7515
- Wu W, Yang Y, Feng Y, Ren X, Li Y, Li W, Huang J, Kong L, Chen X, Lin Z, Hou X, Zhang L, Chen Y, Sheng Z, Hong W. Study of the Repellent Activity of 60 Essential Oils and Their Main Constituents against Aedes albopictus, and Nano-Formulation Development. Insects. 2022 Nov 22;13(12):1077. doi: 10.3390/insects13121077. PMID: 36554987; PMCID: PMC9782114.
Written By Brooke Lounsbury
