COVID-19, Murder Hornets, Riots, Now This. EEE!

Just when you thought the COVID-19 Pandemic was ebbing, that murder hornets were an over-hyped threat, and the rioting and looting might be calming down, we get this bad news: "A Deadly Mosquito-Borne Illness Is Brewing in the Northeast." 

The Bad News: The eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus is deadly. I mean, really really really deadly. It makes the Chinese novel coronavirus look like a common cold. This excerpt from a June 10 article in One Zero sums it up (emphasis added):

There is no vaccine or known treatment for the virus, and while transmission is rare, the infection is around 400 times deadlier than the flu. Those who contract EEE will die approximately 40% of the time; those who survive often suffer neurological impairment for years to come.

The Good News: You don't have to panic. One Zero continued to say this:

Since the disease was first recorded in humans in 1938, there have been fewer than 100 cases statewide. Scott’s diagnosis brought the tally to 10 cases in 2019 alone, with mosquito season not yet over. 

So this is a good news / bad news situation.

Unlike coronavirus, EEE is spread by mosquitos and it's much deadlier. But unlike coronavirus, EEE cannot be transmitted from human to human.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) notes this about EEE:

EEE virus is a rare cause of brain infections (encephalitis). Only a few cases are reported in the United States each year. Most occur in eastern or Gulf Coast states. Approximately 30% of people with EEE die and many survivors have ongoing neurologic problems.

As of December 17, 2019, CDC has received reports of 38 confirmed cases of Eastern equine encephalitis virus disease for this year, including 15 deaths. Cases have been reported from the following ten states: Alabama (1), Connecticut (4), Georgia (1), Indiana (1), Massachusetts (12), Michigan (10), New Jersey (4), North Carolina (1), Rhode Island (3), and Tennessee (1).

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Looking at the map (above) and the statistics, eastern equine encephalitis virus neuroinvasive disease is not something most that should freak out most Americans. You're far more likely to be killed by lightning.

And just to comfort you further, here's a list of the Top Infectious Disease Outbreaks of 2019 (not including COVID-19) at Contagion Live.

Will Dr. Fauci or Dr. Birx be giving White House press briefings about this one? Probably not.

Related Stories:

• Mosquito Season Brings Threat of Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile Virus, Avoyelles Today, 09 June 2020
• Popular agritourism business in Michigan dismantled by mosquito-borne EEE virus, South Bend Tribune, 10 June 2020