Human Case of Rare Mosquito-Borne Illness Reported in New York State
The New York Times
A person in Ulster County has been hospitalized with Eastern equine encephalitis, health officials said. It is the first confirmed human case of the disease recorded in the state since 2015.
A person in New York has been hospitalized with Eastern equine encephalitis, a rare but serious mosquito-borne illness, the state’s Health Department said Friday.
The infection was reported in Ulster County, around 100 miles north of New York City, and is the first confirmed human case of the illness to be recorded in New York since 2015. There is no vaccine for the disease, which is also known as E.E.E., nor is there a cure, and state officials are urging residents to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
Human cases of the virus have been reported in at least six other states this summer, most of them in the Northeast, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These include Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Wisconsin.
The agency has recorded 10 human cases of E.E.E. nationwide as of Sept. 17, before the case in New York was confirmed.
Many people who are bitten by an infected mosquito never develop symptoms. Those who do may experience headaches, fevers, chills and vomiting. Severe cases of the disease can lead to seizures, comas and encephalitis, or swelling of the brain. Around a third of cases are deadly, and more than half result in long-term neurological complications.
Officials say the best way to prevent sickness is to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes. Some precautions they advise include wearing pants and long sleeves, applying strong mosquito repellent and staying indoors around dusk.
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