Equine Encephalitis Worries Southeast

SunSpot.net ^ | July 4, 2003 | DANIEL YEE

[FairOpinion]

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 for West Nile.

"It's such a serious disease that we've been sending press releases to warn people against this virus," said Nolan Newton of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources. On the Net:

www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/arbor/eeefact.htm

[FairOpinion]

The above does give reason for concern.

[Miss Marple]

FYI.

You have freepmail.

[HairOfTheDog]

There is a horse vaccine for this that will protect horses from infected mosquitos..., but cant control the existence of the disease in the local mosquito population.

This is not a common vaccine given up here in the Northwest, but neither was West Nile Vaccine two years ago, and everyone smart is giving that one now.

Given the existance of equine vaccines for both of these, shouldn't we assume that a human vaccine would not be far behind? - Is a vaccine working its way through the FDA approval process? Anyone know?

[HairOfTheDog]

Equine bug ping.

[backhoe]

Cross-link... and near the end of this post is info on EE--

-Strange new disease outbreaks--

[Alas Babylon!]

Well, I can really understand this. It has been an EXTREMELY wet year so far here in Alabama. The Tallapoosa, Coosa, and Alabama rivers have overrun their banks twice this year (second flood peaked yesterday). We got 6 inches rain from Bill on Mon-Tues, and rain everyday since with T-Storms almost every other day since April. I have mosquitos EVERYWHERE. I went out in the garden a few hours ago just to pick some tomatoes, spend five minutes out there, and got about 20-30 bites! I've even noticed there's a new kind of mosquito; one with black and white wings and a black body; unlike the normal brown ones we usually have. Hope I haven't caught anything!

[boycott]

I also live in south Alabama. You cannot go outside without long sleeve shirts and long pants. It's really a bad year for the mosquitos.

[Uncle George]

I had Equine enceph. in 1952 in the San Jaquin Valley of Ca. Many people died in that outbreak and I was a lucky survivor. The health service studied survivors blood for ten years but I never saw any results of the study. The brain swells so much is the cause of death, it is so painfull I was unconcious for a week. I pray the disease won't return again.

[davidosborne]

We have a friend who's little girl got EEE in August of 2001. Dr's said that she would die, however, she is better than they ever said she would be. She's a living miracle! Tallahassee, Fl