A rare deadly equine virus that can be transmitted to humans, killing about 30% of people afflicted, has been spotted in several Hudson Valley counties and surrounding states.
An elderly Massachusetts man was recently infected, and the virus has killed a horse in Orange County, according to health officials.
The Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus (EEE) is spread from horses to people through mosquitoes.
“EEE is a rare but serious disease and a public health concern,” said Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein.
Locally, along with Orange, EEE has been found in Ulster, Saint Lawrence, Madison, Oneida, Cayuga, Wayne and Washington counties, the New York State Department of Health reports.
A horse in Clinton County, next to the Canadian border in New York, also tested positive for EEE.
“A positive test in a horse lets us know that EEE is circulating in mosquitos that bite mammals, including humans.
We continue to monitor and assess mosquito and virus activities,” said Orange County Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Alicia Pointer.
Numerous counties in the Hudson Valley and neighboring states have reported cases of a rare and deadly equine virus that can infect humans, killing about thirty percent of those infected.
Health officials report that the virus killed a horse in Orange County and recently infected an elderly man in Massachusetts.
Through mosquitoes, horses can transmit the Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus (EEE) to humans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that many survivors experience persistent neurological problems. Seizures and coma are additional possibilities.
The organization cautions, “There are no vaccines to prevent or medications to treat eastern equine encephalitis.”.
This month, an 80-year-old Woescter man in New England became infected with EEE; it was Massachusetts’s first case in over four years.
Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein stated, “EEE is a rare but serious disease and a public health concern.”.
In addition to Orange County, the New York State Department of Health reports that EEE has been detected in Ulster, Saint Lawrence, Madison, Oneida, Cayuga, Wayne, and Washington counties locally.
Both an unvaccinated horse in Atlantic County, New Jersey, and the city of Newburgh on the Hudson River perished from the disease. Another horse in Clinton County, New York, close to the Canadian border, tested positive for EEE.
When a horse tests positive, it informs us that EEE is being spread by mosquitoes that bite mammals, including people. According to Dr. Alicia Pointer, commissioner of the Orange County Department of Health, “We continue to monitor and assess mosquito and virus activities.”.
Recently, EEE was found in a wild turkey in Maine, and on August, a deer in Connecticut also passed away from it. Twelve.
The state agency reports that no one in New York has been affected thus far, but sudden headaches, high fevers, chills, and vomiting are warning signs that usually manifest four to ten days after a mosquito bite.
The most vulnerable age group is under 15 and over 50.
“It’s important to be mindful of how we can protect ourselves when spending time outdoors because mosquitoes will be present in our communities until at least the end of September,” Dr. James McDonald, the commissioner of health for New York state, cautioned.
Preventative measures include looking for holes in window screens, wearing long sleeves, and using bug repellent that contains DEET (diethyltoluamide).
