Many viruses carried by some animals and insects, which are mostly seen in the summer months, can lead to fatal results. The intensity of the effect of the virus can vary depending on the person infected, whether there is a chronic disease or age, and different results can occur. Eastern equine encephalitis is also seen due to viruses transmitted through various animals, but as is known, it is not a type of virus.
What is eastern equine encephalitis?
The disease known as Eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, is a disease caused by a virus from the togavirida family. It is a brain inflammation infection that causes very serious consequences.
This infection, which can be transmitted to living beings in various ways, attacks the central nervous system when it infects humans. Therefore, it causes very serious inflammation and therefore damage in the brain tissue. This disease has been fatal in 1/3 of the infected individuals.
How is eastern equine encephalitis transmitted?
Eastern equine encephalitis, although not fatal, causes serious damage to the brain, leaving permanent discomfort. Eastern equine encephalitis, which doctors and health officials consider important and indicate as a health threat, can be transmitted to living beings in various ways.
EEE or Eastern equine encephalitis is transmitted by mosquitoes. After the virus spreads among some bird species, which are its natural hosts, mosquitoes can transmit the virus to humans and other living things by sucking the blood of these birds. Horses and humans have been identified as the final hosts of this disease and the virus.
What are the symptoms of eastern equine encephalitis?
When various symptoms of Eastern equine encephalitis are seen, a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible. Otherwise, very serious and even fatal results can be seen. Eastern equine encephalitis symptoms can start to appear between 4 and 10 days. Depending on the rate of spread of the virus, symptoms can change from day to day and may increase as the virus progresses and spreads.
The first symptoms of eastern equine encephalitis are:
- Sudden onset of fever and increasing fever
- Shake
- Weakness
- Headache
As the virus spreads and the disease progresses, symptoms continue to increase if a doctor is not consulted immediately. The symptoms seen in the second stage may manifest as follows:
- Loss of consciousness
- Severe headaches
- Feeling of stiffness in the neck
- Having a seizure
- Muscle weakness
- Disorder in movements
As the disease progresses, the virus has spread further, which can lead to a coma or an increasing risk of death. Once the second stage of symptoms appears, all the effects increase even more rapidly and the patient may deteriorate to such a degree that no medical intervention is possible.
How is eastern equine encephalitis treated?
Although Eastern equine encephalitis virus results in high rates of death or coma according to statistics, it has been determined that some interventions can be made to alleviate the symptoms or complications. Although it is known that there is no clear treatment for the disease, people diagnosed with this disease are generally hospitalized and admitted to the intensive care unit. The purpose of this is to manage the symptoms affecting brain functions, to control the seizures that occur, and to use supportive treatment methods to reduce inflammation in the brain.
Although there is no treatment for Eastern equine encephalitis, the stages of maintaining the patient’s fluid balance, reducing the risk of infection, and providing respiratory support are included in the process followed for treatment. Due to these fatal possibilities and consequences, it is necessary to protect against the virus as much as possible.
Is it possible to protect against eastern equine encephalitis?
It is possible to be protected from this disease and virus, which has fatal consequences and will cause irreversible damage even if the patient does not die. For this, it is necessary to stay away from mosquitoes, which are most common in the summer months and in hot weather.
Cleaning the surrounding water puddles, keeping containers filled with water as fresh as possible and changing them frequently, using products such as mosquito repellents, ointments, sprays, or growing plants that repel these flies may be helpful.