EASTERN EQUINE ENCEPHALITIS (EEE) VIRUS (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: Health officials in New Hampshire, United States, have reported the death of a person who contracted the rare mosquito-borne Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus.

Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) Virus

• About: It is an extremely rare but serious and often fatal infection that causes encephalitis or inflammation of the brain.
• Last Record: The last recorded human case of EEE in New Hampshire was in 2014.
• Spread: To people by the bite of an infected mosquito.

oEEEV can also infect a wide range of animals including mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.

• Symptoms of EEEV: Infection typically appear 4-10 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.

oSevere cases of EEE infection begin with the sudden onset of headache, high fever, chills, and vomiting that may progress into disorientation, seizures, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), and coma.

oAbout 30% of people ill from EEE die, and many who survive the infection are left with permanent neurologic damage.

• Treatment: There is no specific treatment for EEE.