Mosquito-borne diseases are a growing concern in northeastern states, with health officials monitoring cases and urging residents to avoid outdoor activities near standing water and other environments prone to mosquito spread. We recommend that you do so.
Of particular concern is eastern equine encephalitis. This is a rare, serious and potentially fatal disease caused by mosquitoes that carry the virus.
The virus, known as EEE or “Triple E,” can cause illness in humans as well as animals such as horses and birds. It is not transmitted from person to person, but is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito.
According to the federal government, most people do not develop symptoms or severe symptoms, but one in three people who become seriously ill with the virus will die, and about half of those who recover from severe illness will still suffer long-term disability. They say they experience physical and cognitive effects. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting, and drowsiness. Encephalitis is a rare and serious complication in which infection causes inflammation of the brain.
According to the latest data from the CDC, eight states have reported human cases of the virus this year: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin, totaling There were 16 cases. Other states have confirmed cases of infection only in animals. Triple E was found in two emus and one wild bird in Maine this year.
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In August, Massachusetts officials announced they would begin mosquito control in two counties after a man in his 80s contracted the virus. It’s been four years since the state’s last outbreak that infected 17 people and killed seven people.
Additionally, in August, the first EEE death of the year was confirmed in New Hampshire. According to state health officials, this is the first infection in the state in 10 years. So far this year, the state has confirmed a total of five human cases, with the disease detected in one horse and seven mosquito populations. The state’s last confirmed case was in 2014, when three people were infected, two of whom died.
precautionary measures
In recent weeks, New York state has confirmed its first case and death since 2015. The deaths in Ulster County, about 160 miles north of New York City, prompted Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul to declare an imminent threat to public health and call for the following actions: Dedicate state resources to local health departments to implement preventive measures such as mosquito spray.
The state also makes insect repellent available at state parks and campgrounds. Post signs to raise awareness of EEE. Consult with local health officials about park hours and camping restrictions during dawn and dusk, when mosquito activity is at its peak. We use social media to educate New Yorkers on how to avoid mosquito bites.
State officials said the person who died in Ulster County was an elderly person, but did not provide further details as they investigate factors in the incident.
Brian Bakkenson, an epidemiologist and director of the New York State Department of Health’s Bureau of Infectious Disease Control, said about a dozen counties in the state participate in mosquito surveillance, but rural Ulster County was not one of them. said.
Although the virus does not spread from horses to humans, researchers are tracking EEE cases in horses to determine how prevalent the virus is in a particular area.
Horses serve as our sentinels in many ways. Horses are often used to indicate that Triple E may be present in a certain area at a certain time.
– Brian Bakkenson, Epidemiologist, New York State Department of Health, Director of Infectious Disease Control
This year, 20 cases of EEE in horses have been reported in approximately 12 New York counties. Bakkenson said the state has never seen so many cases in one year.
“Horses serve as our sentinels in many ways,” Bakkenson says. “Horses are often used to show that Triple E may be present in a certain area at a certain time. If a horse tests positive, it means that mammal-biting mosquitoes are outside and active. I can see what you are doing.”
While Ulster County did have a horse case before the human case, the horse was not in the immediate vicinity of where the person lived, Bakkenson noted.
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Philip Armstrong, chief scientist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station’s Center for Vector Biology and Zoonotic Diseases, said although there have been no cases in the state, local clusters are a cause for alarm.
“This is definitely one of the more active years,” he said. “I think about every four or five years we have this type of regional outbreak.”
Armstrong said his team is still collecting and testing mosquitoes.
“So far, we’ve been fortunate in the state of Connecticut to not have any human cases,” he said. “But later in the season, sometimes these things come out of nowhere. You just don’t know. You’re not ready to declare victory yet.”
Impact of climate change
There is no vaccine or drug for humans against Triple E. Experts say residents can protect themselves by using insect repellent and wearing long sleeves and pants when outside. Avoid being outdoors at dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active, or take extra precautions if you are outdoors during those times. Drainage sources of standing water, such as bird baths and wheelbarrows, are perfect environments for mosquitoes to lay eggs.
Dr. Erin Staples, a physician and medical epidemiologist in the CDC’s Division of Vector-Borne Diseases in Fort Collins, Colorado, told Stateline that the United States typically sees an average of seven cases a year. In 2019, 38 cases of infection occurred in Japan, the highest number of cases reported in a year ever.
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Climate change may increase the risk of vector-borne diseases, such as mosquito-borne diseases, as increased rainfall and warmer temperatures create favorable conditions in which mosquito populations may increase.
Staples said it’s not unusual to see sporadic infections of Triple E or West Nile virus from year to year, but changes in bird and mosquito populations and weather patterns affect the number of cases. He said it was possible.
“Climate is one of the many factors that can influence vector-borne diseases. Changes in climate lead to changes in the environment that allow vector-borne diseases like EEE and West Nile to occur where they occur. and frequency may change,” Staples wrote in an email, noting that flooding could also change where cases are seen.
In addition to rising temperatures, which can lead to an expansion of mosquito habitat, climate change-related disasters such as hurricanes are changing the way people live, said Sen Pei, assistant professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. He said the location may change. Authorities need to monitor vector-borne diseases after disasters.
“It’s a systemic effect. Vector-borne diseases are very complex ecosystems,” he said.
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