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Spread of deadly EEE virus explodes 5-fold in New York; one death reported

CDC, eee, health, Infectious disease, mosquitoes, Science, virus / /

Viral spread —

Normally only 2 or 3 counties have EEE-positive mosquitoes; there’s 15 this year.

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An entomologist for the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness in a swampland area on August 25, 2021 in Louisville, Kentucky collecting various mosquito species, and testing the samples for mosquito-borne diseases, such as EEE.

Enlarge / An entomologist for the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness in a swampland area on August 25, 2021 in Louisville, Kentucky collecting various mosquito species, and testing the samples for mosquito-borne diseases, such as EEE.

New York is facing an unusual boom in mosquitoes toting the deadly eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus, which has already led to one rare death in the state and a declaration of an “imminent threat” by officials.

While the state’s surveillance system typically picks up EEE-positive mosquitoes in two or three counties each year, this year there have been 15 affected counties, which are scattered all across New York, State Health Commissioner James McDonald said this week.

“Eastern equine encephalitis is different this year,” McDonald said, noting the deadly nature of the infection, which has a mortality rate of between 30 and 50 percent. “Mosquitoes, once a nuisance, are now a threat,” McDonald added. “I urge all New Yorkers to prevent mosquito bites by using insect repellents, wearing long-sleeved clothing, and removing free-standing water near their homes. Fall is officially here, but mosquitoes will be around until we see multiple nights of below-freezing temperatures.”

On Monday, McDonald issued a Declaration of an Imminent Threat to Public Health for EEE, and Governor Kathy Hochul announced statewide actions to prevent infections. At the same time as the declaration, the officials reported the death of a New Yorker who developed EEE. The case, which was confirmed in Ulster County on September 20, is the state’s first EEE case since 2015.

The disease is very rare in New York. Between 1971 and 2024, there were only 12 cases of EEE reported in the state; seven cases were fatal.

Rare but deadly

EEE is generally rare in the US, with an average of only 11 cases reported per year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus lurks in wild birds and spreads to people and other animals via mosquitoes. The virus is particularly deadly in horses—as its name suggests—with mortality rates up to 90 percent. In people, most bites from a mosquito carrying the EEE virus do not lead to EEE. In fact, the CDC estimates that only about 4–5 percent of infected people develop the disease; most remain asymptomatic.

Fo those who develop EEE, the virus travels from the mosquito bite into the lymph system and spreads from there to cause a systemic infection. Initial symptoms are unspecific, including fever, headache, malaise, chills, joint pain, nausea, and vomiting. This can progress to inflammation of the brain and neurological symptoms, including altered mental state and seizures. Children under the age of 15 and adults over the age of 50 are most at risk.

The CDC estimates that about 30 percent of people who develop severe EEE die of the disease. But, with small numbers of cases over time, the reported mortality rates can vary. In Massachusetts, for instance, about 50 percent of the cases have been fatal. Among those who survive neuro-invasive disease, many are left severely disabled, and some die within a few years due to complications. There is no vaccine for EEE and no specific treatments.

Overall numbers

While New York seems to be experiencing an unusual surge of EEE-positive mosquitoes, the country as a whole is not necessarily seeing an uptick in cases. Only 10 cases from six states have been reported to the CDC this year. That count does not include the New York case, which would bring the total to 11, around the country’s average number of cases per year.

In addition to New York, the states that have reported cases are Massachusetts, Vermont, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and New Hampshire. Most cases have been in the Northeast, where cases are typically reported between mid-June and early October before freezing temperatures kill off mosquito populations.

The death in New York is at least the second EEE death this year. In August, New Hampshire’s health department reported the death of an EEE case, and local media reports identified the person as a previously healthy 41-year-old man from Hampstead.

EEE gained attention last month when a small town in Massachusetts urged residents to follow an evening curfew to avoid mosquito bites.  The move came after the state announced its first EEE case this year (the state’s case count is now at four) and declared a “critical risk level” in four communities.

Between 2003 and 2023, the highest tally of cases in a year was in 2019, when states reported 38 EEE cases.

Spread of deadly EEE virus explodes 5-fold in New York; one death reported Read More »

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Town urges curfew over mosquito-spread disease that kills up to 50% of people

CDC, curfew, deaths, Eastern equine encephalitis, eee, health, Infectious disease, massachusetts, mosquito, Oxford, Science, virus / /

“Critical risk” —

Eastern Equine Encephalitis is very rare in the US, but when it strikes, it’s bad.

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A mosquito collected to test for mosquito-borne diseases.

Enlarge / A mosquito collected to test for mosquito-borne diseases.

A small town in Massachusetts is urging residents to stay indoors in the evenings after the spread of a dangerous mosquito-spread virus reached “critical risk level.”

The virus causes Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), which kills between 30 and 50 percent of people who are stricken—who are often children under the age of 15 and the elderly. Around half who survive are left permanently disabled, and some die within a few years due to complications. There is no treatment for EEE. So far, one person in the town—an elderly resident of Oxford—has already become seriously ill with neuroinvasive EEE.

EEE virus is spread by mosquitoes in certain swampy areas of the country, particularly in Atlantic and Gulf Coast states and the Great Lakes region. Mosquitoes shuttle the virus between wild birds and animals, including horses and humans. In humans, the virus causes very few cases in the US each year—an average of 11, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But given the extreme risk of EEE, health officials take any spread seriously.

On August 16, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced the state’s first case and declared a “critical risk level” in the four communities of Douglas, Oxford, Sutton, and Webster. These all cluster in Worcester county near the state’s borders with Rhode Island and Connecticut.

Curfew

While the state health department did not identify the man as a resident of Oxford, the town’s manager confirmed his residence in a memorandum Wednesday. The manager, Jennifer Callahan, reported that the man remains hospitalized. She also reported that a horse across the border in Connecticut had recently died of EEE.

Also on Wednesday, the four towns—Douglas, Oxford, Sutton, and Webster—issued a joint health advisory, which included a recommended curfew.

Last night, The Oxford Board of Health voted to adopt the advisory, according to the Boston Globe. The recommendation is for residents to avoid mosquito’s peak activity time. They should “finish outdoor activities before 6: 00 PM through September 30th, 2024 and before 5: 00 PM October 1st, 2024 until the first hard frost.” The advisory also recommends residents wear insect repellent, wear protective clothing, and mosquito-proof their homes.

Officials emphasized that the curfew is a recommendation, not mandatory. However, to use town properties—such as recreation fields—people will first need to file an indemnification form and provide proof of adequate insurance coverage to the town.

To date, there have been only three cases of EEE in the US this year. One in Massachusetts, one in Vermont, and the last in New Jersey. All three are neuroinvasive. The CDC says that about 30 percent of cases are fatal, while Massachusetts health officials report that about half of people who develop EEE in the state have died.

In 2019, there was a multi-state outbreak of EEE, leading to a high of 38 cases. Twelve of the cases occurred in Massachusetts, and six died.

Town urges curfew over mosquito-spread disease that kills up to 50% of people Read More »