| Eastern equine encephalitis | |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Infectious diseases  |
| Symptoms | high fever, muscle pain, altered mental status, headache, meningeal irritation, photophobia, and seizures |
| Causes | Eastern equine encephalitis virus |
| Risk factors | People over the age of 50 or younger than the age of 16 are at greatest risk of developing severe disease.[medical citation needed] |
| Diagnostic method | Cerebrospinal fluid or brain tissue examination |
| Prognosis | ~33% fatality rate in severe cases[1] |
Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), commonly called Triple E or sleeping sickness (not to be confused with African trypanosomiasis), is a disease caused by a zoonotic mosquito-vectored Togavirus that is present in North, Central, and South America, and the Caribbean. EEE was first recognized in Massachusetts, United States, in 1831, when 75 horses died mysteriously of viral encephalitis. Epizootics of EEE in horses have continued to occur regularly in the United States. It can also be identified in donkeys and zebras. Rarely, it can also infect humans. Due to the rarity of the disease, its occurrence can cause economic impact beyond the cost of horses and poultry.[2] EEE is found today in the eastern part of the United States and is often associated with coastal plains. It can most commonly be found in East Coast and Gulf Coast states.[1] In Florida, about one to two human cases are reported a year, although over 60 cases of equine encephalitis are reported. In years in which conditions are favorable for the disease, the number of equine cases is over 200.[3] Diagnosing equine encephalitis is challenging because many of the symptoms are shared with other illnesses and patients can be asymptomatic. Confirmations may require a sample of cerebrospinal fluid or brain tissue, although CT scans and MRI scans are used to detect encephalitis. This could be an indication that the need to test for EEE is necessary. If a biopsy of the cerebrospinal fluid is taken, it is sent to a specialized laboratory for testing.[4]
Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) is closely related to Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus and western equine encephalitis virus.
- ^ a b "About Eastern Equine Encephalitis". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 29 August 2024. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
- ^ "Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis" (PDF). United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 February 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "Eastern Equine Encephalitis". Florida Health. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
- ^ Deresiewicz RL, Thaler SJ, Hsu L, Zamani AA (1997). "Clinical and neuroradiographic manifestations of eastern equine encephalitis". N. Engl. J. Med. 336 (26): 1867–74. doi:10.1056/NEJM199706263362604. PMID 9197215.