New York State Experiences First Human Case of EEE in Practically A Decade

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New York state reported its first case of jap equine encephalitis in practically a decade on Friday.

The uncommon mosquito-borne virus was found in Ulster County, the New York State Division of Well being stated. The person is hospitalized, it stated.

The Ulster County Public Well being Division is at the moment investigating the case, which is the primary confirmed case of EEE in New York state since 2015, well being officers stated.

“Jap equine encephalitis is a critical and lethal mosquito-borne illness for which there is no such thing as a vaccine,” New York State Well being Commissioner Dr. James McDonald stated in an announcement. “Though temperatures are cooling, mosquito-borne illnesses nonetheless pose a danger and New Yorkers ought to be cautious.”

Matthew Vanderpool, environmental well being specialist and entomologist for the Louisville Metro Division of Public Well being and Wellness, holds a mosquito captured earlier in the present day, August 25, 2021, in Louisville, Kentucky.

Jon Cherry/Getty Photos

The human case comes after a case of EEE was confirmed in a horse in Ulster County in August, the state Division of Well being stated. Earlier this month, two emus in New York’s Rensselaer County additionally examined constructive for the virus, which isn’t transmitted instantly from birds to people, the division stated.

The newest human EEE case in New York brings the nationwide whole this 12 months to at the very least 11, based on an ABC Information tally. The nationwide annual common is 11, with most instances occurring in jap or Gulf Coast states.

Along with New York, instances have been reported in at the very least six different states to date this 12 months: Massachusetts with 4, New Hampshire with two, and New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin with one every.

Between 2003 and 2023, at the very least 196 instances of EEE have been reported within the US, together with 176 hospitalizations and 79 deaths.

The easiest way to stop an infection with the illness is to guard your self from mosquito bites. This may be executed through the use of insect repellent, carrying long-sleeved shirts and pants, treating clothes and gear, and taking measures to regulate mosquitoes indoors and open air.

“With the primary confirmed human case of jap equine encephalitis recognized in Ulster County, I urge residents to take beneficial precautions to keep away from mosquito bites and the chance of an infection,” Ulster County Administrator Jen Metzger stated in an announcement.

Most individuals contaminated with EEE don’t develop signs. For many who do, signs might embrace fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, behavioral adjustments and drowsiness, based on the US Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.

In accordance with the CDC, about one-third of all individuals who develop extreme instances die.

New York State Experiences First Human Case of EEE in Practically A Decade

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