Oh, Cool — Another Deadly Virus Is Trying to Kill Us

Okay, so murder hornets were a false alarm. And we’re turning this year’s locust plague into chicken feed in farms across the world. (YAY!) But a deadly mosquito-borne disease is the latest apocalyptic plague of revelation we must contend with now. (BOO!)

If you live in the Northeast region of the United States, you’ll want to read this.

Last year — 2019 — there was a pretty alarming uptick in a mosquito-borne disease that killed almost 40% of its human hosts. Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE).

Horses are especially vulnerable.

In the past, it has been an extremely rare, albeit serious and often fatal disease that causes encephalitis — inflammation of the brain.

The CDC averages about seven cases per year. But there were 38 confirmed cases last year including 15 deaths in 10 states: Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Tennessee.

“So as you can see, infections were reported primarily in eastern and Gulf Coast states, particularly in and around cedar or hardwood swamp areas near the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Great Lakes,” writes Nicole Pesce with MarketWatch.

Going forward, the New York Post warns that:

By 2035, the region is projected to be more than 2.6 degrees warmer on average than during the preindustrial era, and the freeze-free period between spring and fall is expected to last up to three weeks longer. This will increase the period during which EEE can be transmitted and likely spur other vector-borne diseases in the region, like West Nile virus and Lyme disease, which some researchers predict could increase by almost 92%.

There’s good(ish) news though. Unlike Covid-19, EEE can not be transmitted person-to-person. And even if you get bit by a mosquito carrying the virus, transmission is unlikely. Only about 4-5% of those bitten will get sick. Unfortunately, for those people, symptoms are severe.

Because of the aforementioned brain inflammation, patients can suffer lifelong brain damage or death. The CDC estimates that one-third of the patients who develop encephalitis from the virus die. Many that survive are left with mild or severe brain damage.

Other symptoms include:

• Sudden fever

• Chills

• Headache

• Vomiting

• Disorientation

• Seizures

• Coma

People over 50 and under 15 appear to be more susceptible than other demographics.

To combat this super un-fun growing summer crisis, Pesce writes:

The CDC recommends using insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus on exposed skin and/or clothing. The repellent/insecticide permethrin can be used on clothing to protect it through several washes; just be sure to follow the directions on the package. Cover strollers and baby carriers with mosquito netting. Wear long sleeves and pants outdoors, weather permitting, and make sure all door and window screens are intact to prevent mosquitoes from entering your home. You can also help control the mosquito population by eliminating breeding sites around your home, such as emptying standing water from planters, buckets, barrels and other containers, emptying the water from tire swings, or emptying children’s wading pools when they aren’t being used.

Stay safe out there this summer, but don’t panic. Odds are still in your favor, but you’re certainly better safe than sorry.

So be sure to empty any stray water deposits collecting around your property after each rainfall, keep an extra layer of light clothing on ya when you’re sitting outdoors for extended periods of time, and explore some eco-friendly pest-control options for your homes, pools, yards, and gardens.