A 41-year-old man living in New Hampshire died last week After contracting a rare mosquito-borne disease called Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus (EEE, also known as “Triple E”), this is the first case of the disease in New Hampshire in 10 years. Four other human EEE infections have been reported this year. Wisconsin, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Vermont.
While this outbreak is small and Triple E does not pose a risk to most people in the United States, public health officials and researchers are concerned about the threat that the deadly virus poses to the public this year and in the coming summer. There is no known cure for the disease, which can cause severe flu-like symptoms and seizures in people four to 10 days after exposure and kills 30 to 40 percent of those infected. Half of those who survive a Triple E infection suffer permanent neurological damage. Because of EEE’s high mortality rate, state officials Massachusetts begins spraying pesticidesTen communities have been designated as “critical” or “high risk” for Triple E. Towns in the state Parks were closed from sunset to dawn and people were warned to stay indoors after 6 p.m.This is the time when mosquitoes are most active.
Like West Nile virus, another mosquito-borne disease that poses a threat to Americans each summer, Triple E is limited by rapidly changing environmental factors as the planet warms, as mosquitoes thrive in hotter, more humid environments due to climate change.
“In the last 10 years or so, we’ve seen a resurgence of eastern equine encephalitis virus activity,” said Theodore G. Andredis, a researcher who has studied mosquito-borne diseases for 35 years with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, a state research and public relations agency. “And we’ve seen it advance into northern areas where it wasn’t previously seen.” Researchers don’t know what causes the virus to spike and then recede, but Andredis said it’s clear that climate change is one factor, particularly facilitating its spread to new areas.
Disease after tomorrow
that First Triple E outbreak on record It first emerged in horses in Massachusetts in the 1830s, which is why one of the three Es stands for “horse.” It wasn’t until a century later, in 1934, that mosquitoes were identified as a potential vector for the disease. The first human case of the disease occurred in Massachusetts four years later, in 1938. That year, there were 38 casualties in the state, 25 of them fatal.. Since then, in the case of humans Most are registered in Gulf Coast states, with an increasing number in the Northeast.. From 1964 to 2002, the Northeast region had fewer than one case of the disease per year. From 2003 to 2019, the average for the region increased to four to five cases per year.
The disease is spread by two species of mosquitoes. The first is a species called the Culiseta melanura, or black-tailed mosquito. This mosquito lives in deciduous wetlands and feeds on birds such as red-breasted thrushes, herons, and robins, spreading the virus among them. However, the melanura mosquito does not bite mammals. Another species of mosquito, Coquillettidia perturbans, is primarily responsible for most human cases of the disease reported in the United States. Perturbans mosquitoes transmit the EEE virus when they feed on birds, which then infects humans and horses that are bitten. Towards the end of summer, when mosquitoes reach their peak numbers and begin to compete with each other for available blood meals, human cases begin to spike.
Andreadis, published a historical memoir Climate change has emerged as a major driver of the disease as Triple E unfolds across the Northeastern United States in 2021, according to a new report.
“We’re having milder winters, warmer summers, and more extreme rainfall and drought,” he said. “The impact on mosquito populations is probably going to be very significant.”
In general, as global average temperatures rise, mosquitoes become more prevalent, regardless of species.
Studies have shown that warm temperatures, up to a certain threshold of about 90 degrees Fahrenheit, shorten the time it takes for C. melanura eggs to hatch. Warmer temperatures in the spring and fall increase the number of days during which mosquitoes breed and feed. And they feed more during the warmer summer months. Mosquitoes are cold-blooded, so their metabolism increases as temperatures rise.
Precipitation also affects mosquito breeding and activity, as mosquito eggs need water to hatch. Warmer air retain more moistureThis means that even small rainfall events today dump more water than in the past century. The more stagnant water there is in roadside ditches, abandoned car tires, ponds, wetlands, and potholes, the more opportunities there are for mosquitoes to breed. And warmer water reduces the hatching period for C. melanura eggs. A study They concluded that warmer-than-average water temperatures “increase the likelihood of EEE amplification.”
Climate change is not the only factor that is facilitating the spread of disease vectors like mosquitoes. Slow reforestation of areas that were cleared for industry and agriculture decades ago is creating new habitats for insects. At the same time, Developers are building new homes in increasing numbers of forested or semi-forested areas.It brings humans closer to the natural world and the insects that live in it.
When the West Nile Virus is Deadly
On an individual level, the best way to stay safe from EEE and other mosquito-borne diseases is to prevent mosquito bites. Wear long sleeves and pants at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most likely to bite. Apply effective mosquito repellent regularly. However, there are also steps that local health departments can take to protect public health, such as testing pools of water for mosquito larvae and conducting public awareness and pesticide spraying campaigns when Triple E is detected. Massachusetts is one state that has been aggressive in testing Triple E for mosquitoes in recent summers.
The most effective way to protect people from this disease is to develop a vaccine against it. A vaccine already exists for horses, but There is little incentive Vaccine manufacturers must work hard to develop a preventive measure against triple E disease in humans, because the disease is so rare.
“While the EEE is not yet a global health emergency, the recent surge in cases highlights our lack of preparedness for unexpected infectious disease outbreaks.” A group of biologists wrote last year in the open-access science journal Frontiers:. “In the face of these threats, it would be wise to take preemptive, active control measures and strengthen our vigilance.”
