United States: The reports from Maine CDC recently suggested of the first human case of EEE this year and the first in the state since 2015.
The Maine CDC indicated that the person is an adult from Penobscot County.
That is why health officials estimate that the EEE virus was transmitted in Maine since the person had no travel history outside the state.
What more are officials stating?
That is why health officials estimate that the EEE virus was transmitted in Maine since the person had no travel history outside the state. They fell seriously ill in the early part of October and has remained in hospital to date from Penobscot County.
Officials stressed that the findings are preliminary since further tests are required through the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Maine CDC officials confirmed two cases of human West Nile virus infection, another vector-borne disease, this year.
Moreover, just one of those west Nile cases were locally acquires, as health officials updated.
As Maine CDC explained, the latest cases involve a horse from Penobscot County and a horse from Lincoln County that flew positive for EEE.
EEE, WN, and JCV, are also transmitted by an infected mosquito. The viruses cannot infect human to human or between human and animals.
According to Maine CDC director Dr. Puthiery Va, “Even though the risk of mosquito bites is low right now, it can take up to several weeks for people who were bitten by an infected mosquito to develop symptoms,” wmtw.com reported.
“We want Maine people and visitors to be on the lookout for symptoms and get medical care if they get sick,” expert noted.
Most of the infected cases do not show any symptoms while some may develop a fever and flu like disease. Some of the serious signs are encephalitis, brain oedema and meningitis, and inflammation of the spinal cord.
As of now this year, the Maine CDC has documented one human, three wild birds, 18 domestic animals, and one mosquito pool or entire group of 50 tested mosquitoes–collectively referred to as a pool–that have been infected with the EEE virus.
Maine CDC spokesman Glenn Ondrovich said that agency has also documented 33 wild birds, two domestic animals and one sample of mosquito breeding to West Nile.