Death by Mosquito Bites: What is the “Triple E” Virus?

 

People living in the northeastern region of the United States are being asked to be cautious after a rare, but deadly virus EEE was found in mosquitoes.

 
Residents in several communities in the US state of Massachusetts have been asked to be extra cautious due to the spread of the virus. Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) is a dangerous virus spread by mosquito bites and known as “Triple E”.
 
According to the American media, a person over 40 years of age has also died due to the same virus in the state of New Hampshire.
 
On the other hand, an 80-year-old man from Massachusetts has also been reported to be suffering from this disease.
 
In Massachusetts, seventeen people were diagnosed with the disease in 2019 and 2020, and seven of them died.
 
Outbreaks have also occurred along the eastern seaboard of the United States, from Canada to Mexico and the Caribbean, and south to Argentina.
 
What is Triple E and How is the Virus Transmitted?
 
EEE or Triple E is a virus mainly transmitted to birds, horses, and humans by mosquito bites. Most people infected with this virus do not show any symptoms. It is a rare but very deadly virus. Triple E can cause a high fever and dangerous inflammation of the brain in an infected person.
 
The CDC says that up to one-third of people who get sick from the virus may die. However, it has also been revealed that the Triple E virus neither transmits nor infects one person to another.
 
Triple E outbreaks are more likely in late summer and early fall. So far, most of the northeastern regions of the United States have been affected by this virus.
 
Symptoms of Triple E
 
The CDC says that people infected with triple E often develop symptoms between four to ten days after exposure.
 
Symptoms after exposure to the triple E virus include fever, chills, body aches, and joint pains.
 
This disease dominates the human body for one to two weeks and most people recover completely, but it does not affect the human nervous system.
 
However, some may develop meningitis (inflammation of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord) or inflammation of the brain.
 
Survivors of the virus may experience long-term mental retardation, personality changes and disorders, seizures, paralysis, and other neck problems. If you notice that someone close to you is showing symptoms of triple E, contact your doctor immediately.
 
How can Triple E be Avoided?
 
There is no specific medicine or vaccine for triple E that can prevent you from getting this disease.
 
In Massachusetts, residents of communities where the virus has been reported to be at risk are being urged to avoid mosquitoes and take special care not to get bitten. To avoid mosquitoes, they have been told by management to:
 
·         Avoid going out after dusk as this is the time when the risk of 

           mosquito bites are high
·         Use of lotion to repel mosquitoes
·         Use clothes that cover your entire body
·         Use fine mesh in the windows of the houses so that 

           mosquitoes cannot enter the house
·         Try not to collect water inside and outside the house and have 

           proper drainage
·         Pesticides are also being sprayed by airplanes and vehicles in 

           vulnerable areas of Massachusetts.
 
 
How Common is Triple E?
 
Triple E virus is also present on lakes and Caribbean islands along the east coast of the United States as far as Argentina.
 
It was first found in horses in 1933 in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.
 
Because the virus is present in mosquitoes found in swamps, marshes, and humid areas and is not transmitted to humans, it is not common in these areas, and that is why there are so many cases do not come. However, they affect the animals and birds found in those areas which act as a means of their migration to other areas.
 
So far this year, five cases have been reported in five US states.
 
The pest control agency VDCI says that between 2011 to 2020, Massachusetts reported the most Triple E cases at 26, followed by Michigan at 18, Florida at 9, Georgia at 7, and North Carolina at 7 cases.
 
According to the New England Journal of Medicine, there was an outbreak of EEE in the Darien region of Panama in 2010, in which seven people were infected, two of whom died.
 
The disease also affected 50 horses there.
 
EEE was discovered in Argentina in 1981, but the virus has not infected anyone. A similar disease known as Western Equine Encephalitis is a more serious problem that has caused many deaths.
 
It is feared that climate change may lead to the spread of Triple E in the future and the number of its patients may increase. 

A humidity of 42 percent and a temperature of 10 to 32 degrees Celsius are ideal for mosquito breeding.

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