New Yorkers have been put on high alert following the state’s first death in a decade from an extremely rare but serious mosquito-borne illness.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that one person in Ulster County, 70 miles west of the Connecticut border, had died of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE).
This is the second death in the United States this year, the first being a 41-year-old man who died in August in New Hampshire.
The disease is spread by infected mosquitoes that kill between one-third and one-half of their victims, often due to severe brain inflammation resulting in seizures, headaches and brain death.
New York State Parks will now make mosquito repellent available to visitors, post signs to raise awareness about the disease, and consult with health departments on setting park hours and limiting activity during times of day when mosquito activity is highest.
There are several species of mosquitoes that can transmit this virus, but a common species is the cattail mosquito, whose scientific name is Coquilleta perturbans. This insect is found in the eastern and midwestern United States.
This year, human cases of the disease have also been reported in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.
An unusually high number of cases have been reported in the United States this year. And while infection is rare, there is no vaccine to protect against it.
Governor Kathy Hochul headed for death on Sept. 20, but offered limited details about the patient, who is still “under investigation by the Ulster County Health Department.”
He added: “Keeping New Yorkers safe is my top priority.
‘Following the first confirmed human case of EEE, my administration took action at the state level to help protect communities, and with today’s declaration, we are making additional state resources available to local departments to support their public health response.’
Many people infected with EEE will not show symptoms because their immune system can fight off the virus.
Only four to five percent of people infected with the EEE virus develop severe illness.
Steven Perry, 41, of Hampstead, New Hampshire, died after a seven-day battle with Eastern Equine Encephalitis.
He was rushed to hospital on August 12 after his family noticed he was acting strange, but was pronounced dead on August 19, a week later.
But people under 15 and over 50 are often not so lucky. Young and old people have relatively weaker immune systems than other adults.
These groups are also more susceptible to the severe neurological effects of infection because their blood-brain barrier, the protective layer that surrounds the brain and protects it from infection, is still developing or deteriorating due to aging.
Only a few cases are reported each year, but the annual case count can vary.
In 2019, the United States suffered its largest outbreak in about 50 years, with 38 cases and 19 deaths, compared with the typical seven severe cases per year.
It cannot be transmitted from person to person, only through the bite of an infected mosquito. There are indications that there are increasing numbers of infected mosquitoes circulating in New York. This year, infected insects have been found in 15 New York counties, compared with two or three a year.
State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, ‘Eastern equine encephalitis is different this year.
‘While we normally see these mosquitoes in two or three counties each year, this year they have been in 15 counties so far and have spread across New York State. This deadly mosquito-borne disease has no commercially available vaccine for humans and must be taken seriously. Mosquitoes, once a nuisance, are now a menace.’
New York is not the only state on alert. In Massachusetts, 10 of the state’s 14 counties have been warned about the increased prevalence of mosquitoes and have been placed under curfew.
The city of Plymouth, for example (home to 60,800 residents about 40 miles from Boston) will close outdoor recreation areas from dusk to dawn every day because a horse in the city tested positive for the virus.
Vermont has also postponed public events, including nighttime festivals and concerts, to curb the spread of the deadly virus. State health officials are “strongly recommending” that people in some of the state’s busiest cities stay home between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., when the viruses are most active.
August marked the first human case of the mosquito-borne disease in Vermont since 2012.
Mosquitoes will continue to be a public health nuisance until about mid-October, when the season ends.