Western Equine Encephalitis:
We would like to acknowledge and thank the Centers for Disease Control for
allowing
the use of the following information and links concerning mosquito-borne illness.
- Clinical Features:
- • Symptoms range from mild flu-like illness to frank encephalitis, coma and death.
- Etiologic Agent:
- • Western equine encephalitis virus, member of the family Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus. Closely related to eastern and Venezuelan equine encephalitis viruses
- Incidence:
- • 639 confirmed cases in the U.S. since 1964.
- Sequelae:
- • Mild to severe neurologic deficits in survivors.
- Costs:
- • Total case costs range from $21,000 for transiently infected individuals to $3 million for severely infected individuals
- • Insecticide applications can cost as much as $1.4 million depending on the size of area treated
- Transmission:
- • Mosquito Borne
- Risk Groups:
- • Residents of endemic areas and visitors
- • Persons with outdoor work and recreational activities
- Surveillance:
- • National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System
- Trends:
- • Epidemic disease that is difficult to predict
- • Risk exposure increases as population expands into endemic areas
- Challenges:
- • No licensed vaccine for human use
- • No effective therapeutic drug
- • Unknown overwintering cycle
- • Control measures expensive
- • Limited financial support of surveillance and prevention