Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE)

Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE)

EEE is a rare but serious mosquito-borne disease that can cause severe brain inflammation. 

Transmission 

EEE is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes that have fed on infected birds, such as crows and owls. 

Symptoms 

Most people infected with EEE do not develop symptoms. However, those who do may experience: 

fever, headache, stiff neck, confusion, seizures, and coma. 

Risk Factors 

People at increased risk of EEE include:

• Those living in areas where EEE is present

• Outdoor workers, especially during dawn and dusk

• People with weakened immune systems 

  
  

Prevention 

To prevent EEE, it is important to:

• Avoid mosquito bites by wearing long sleeves, pants, and insect repellent 

• Eliminate mosquito breeding grounds by removing standing water 

• Vaccinate horses, which can help reduce the spread of the virus 

  
  

Additional Information 

• EEE is most common in the eastern and Gulf Coast states of the United States. 

• The virus can also infect horses, causing severe illness and death. 

• Cases of EEE typically occur in the summer and fall. 

  
  

Humans cannot get Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) from horses; the virus is not spread by infected mosquitoes that bite horses, humans, and other animals, making humans and horses "dead-end hosts" for the virus and unable to pass it on to others. Mosquitoes pick up the virus by feeding on infected birds and then transmit it when they bite a horse or human. 

The chance of getting Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) is generally low, and rare overall with only a few human cases reported annually in the U.S. 

Reference:

https://www.cdc.gov/eastern-equine-encephalitis/data-maps/index.html