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Monday, September 8, 2014
Recent cases of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in horses located in Escambia and Elmore counties have prompted public health officials to remind people to be aware of mosquito-borne viruses. In Alabama, the principal mosquito-borne viruses are EEE, West Nile (WNV), and St. Louis encephalitis (SLE). Additionally, viruses such as chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis and dengue have been reported, but thus far all cases have been related to travel to the Caribbean or other tropical climates.
So far this year, there has not been a human case of EEE identified in Alabama; however, one case of WNV and one case of SLE have been reported.
The positive horses were confirmed by the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries following testing at the State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. The departments work closely together to monitor viral encephalitis cases in veterinary species such as horses and birds, so that people can be take appropriate mosquito prevention steps.
According to Dr. Dee W. Jones, State Public Health Veterinarian, the significance of positive horses means the virus is present in the mosquito population. He warns that the same mosquitoes that infect the animals also pose a risk to humans. The virus can only be spread through the bite of a mosquito, so positive horses do not increase the viral activity in the area, nor increase the risk to humans.
Mosquito-borne infections pose a health risk to all Alabamians, particularly during the summer months, because of warm weather and periods of heavy rainfall. For most of the state, mosquitoes are more abundant from late spring to early fall.
Human cases vary dramatically from year to year; the exact reason is not known. Dr. Jones added, "With all the outdoor activities in the warm weather months it may not be possible to avoid mosquitoes by staying indoors, but it is more practical to reduce mosquito bites with the use of widely available repellants.”
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Keywords: mosquito-borne viruses, health, Alabama
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