Free Republic

While mosquitoes are often associated with West Nile virus, there is another mosquito-borne virus that is currently making headlines: the Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus, a rare disease that can cause inflammation in the brain (called encephalitis). It mainly affects people in parts of the Great Lakes region, along the Eastern seaboard, and the Gulf Coast. Now, a fifth case in humans has just been confirmed in Massachusetts, and EEE activity has been detected in 10 counties there, according to the Massachusetts Department of Health. As a result, many outdoor activities in areas of concern have been canceled or postponed,...

LONGMEADOW, Mass (WWLP) — While Saturday wasn’t too hot or humid, like most of our summer has been, 22News found that our recent weather conditions have contributed to the arrival of a potentially deadly disease in the Bay State. Mosquitoes: we’ve talked about them for months, and for the first time this year mosquitoes have infected someone in Massachusetts with eastern equine encephalitis, or triple E. The Massachusetts Department of Health just confirmed that a July 15th laboratory test in Plymouth County has tested positive for EEE, a dangerous virus that can cause inflammation of the brain and in one...

Deadly horse disease rampages across US East Coast 18:35 11 July 03 NewScientist.com news service Health officials in the US are warning that a deadly horse virus which can jump to humans may be coming to its 10-year peak, after a hike in cases on the East Coast. Eastern equine encephalitis is a rare but potentially fatal disease affecting mainly horses. The virus normally resides in birds and is spread by mosquitoes, in a similar way to the deadly West Nile Virus. Health officials on the East Coast are urging greater public awareness of mosquito-borne diseases following the death of...

ATLANTA -- Health officials on alert for the return of West Nile virus are concerned about the re-emergence of another mosquito-borne disease in the Southeast: eastern equine encephalitis. A Georgia man died June 21 in the nation's first human case of the disease this year. "Eastern equine encephalitis has been an exceptionally infrequent disease," said Dr. Anthony Marfin of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "If you saw five or six (human) cases a year, that was a big year." But the virus kills up to 50 percent of people who catch it, compared with up to 15 percent...