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Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE)
- Recognized as a disease in 1831, but not isolated from tissue until 1933
- Fatality rate of ~35% in humans, as high as 90% in horses
- Infected mosquitoes have been observed in the Oneida Lake watershed
Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), also called sleeping sickness or "Triple E", was first observed in Massachusetts in 1831 when 75 horses died from infection. In 1938, the first confirmed human cases were reported when 30 children died. Today, EEE exists in the eastern part of the U.S., and is most prevalent between late July and September.
EEE infects birds that live in freshwater swamps, like Cicero Swamp in Onondaga County, and is spread from bird to bird by infected mosquitoes. It is capable of infecting a wide range of animals including mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, but most animals never develop high enough levels of EEE to be sick or contagious. Mosquitoes are responsible for transmission of the virus, though ticks, lice, and mites may also be able to transmit EEE.
EEE symptoms in humans begin with a high fever (103º to 106ºF), stiff neck, headache, and lack of energy. These symptoms appear three to ten days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Inflammation and swelling of the brain, called encephalitis, develops next and is the most dangerous symptom. The disease gets worse quickly, and some patients go into a coma within a week. If symptoms appear in a person, EEE has a fatality rate of around 35%.
On July 14th, 2005, despite low mosquito numbers, samples of one mosquito species from Cicero Swamp (Onondaga County) tested positive for EEE virus. The following week, samples of cattail mosquitoes (a known human biter), were found to contain EEE virus. In response to this early season activity, 7,700 acres of Cicero Swamp, a state-owned wildlife management area, were subjected to aerial application of mosquito adulticides on July 28th, 2005. No EEE activity was detected in Onondaga County for the remainder of that season.
There were three fatal equine EEE cases in central New York in 2005. A horse died on August 19th near Chittenango (Madison County), and two horses died on August 21st and October 3rd in the towns of Hasting and Mexico (Oswego County). EEE virus was also detected in mosquitoes collected on August 18th in a trap located near the Madison County equine case. In 2006, aerial spraying of the Toad Harbor Swamp and surrounding areas on the north shore of Oneida Lake was conducted August 17 after mosquitoes infected with EEE were found in several areas.
To learn more about EEE ...
