Heads up, Floridians: A dangerous and potentially deadly mosquito-borne virus has been detected in the state, the Florida Department of Health in Orange County (DOH-Orange) announced late last week.
“Several sentinel chickens in the same flock” tested positive for Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), per the DOH-Orange, which noted, “the risk of transmission to humans has increased.”
MULTI-STATE CYCLOSPORA OUTBREAK LINKED TO FRESH BASIL FROM MEXICO, FDA SAYS
EEE, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is a rare disease that’s spread by infected mosquitoes. EEEV “is one of a group of mosquito-transmitted viruses that can cause inflammation of the brain (encephalitis),” the federal health agency says.
EEE is more common in Atlantic and Gulf Coast states, though the CDC said some cases have been reported in the Great Lakes area. It’s rare; only 5 to 10 cases are reported each year in the U.S. – READ MORE