# 4770
A little over a week ago I wrote about `triple E’, or Eastern Equine Encephalitis, which had claimed the life of a Hillsborough County (Florida) woman earlier this month.
While exceedingly rare, Florida sees on average 1 or 2 (range 0-5) human cases each year, and about 70 equine infections.
Nationally, between 1999 and 2008 there were a median of seven (range: 3--21) EEE cases (not deaths) reported in the United States each year.
So the unusual news yesterday of another death in the same county – this time of an infant - has prompted the local health department to upgrade a mosquito advisory issued last April to a full Alert.
This is the third death this month in Florida from the virus, as earlier this month a retired postal worker in the panhandle (Wakulla County) also succumbed to the virus.
The St. Petersburg Times has the story.
Brandon infant dies of equine encephalitis
Friday, July 30, 2010
As the chart below shows, the months of June-July-August historically produce the most human cases of EEE in Florida, with July by far seeing the most.
Still, the average for the month of July over the past 50 years has been less than 1 case per year.
The Florida Department of Health reminds residents that to help protect themselves against mosquito borne diseases they should practice the "5 D's"
Don't go outdoors at DUSK and DAWN when mosquitoes are most active.
DRESS so your skin is covered with clothing
Apply mosquito repellent containing DEET to bare skin and clothing.
Other effective repellents include picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, and IR3535
Empty containers and DRAIN standing water around your home where mosquitoes can lay eggs.
For more details visit the Florida DOH Mosquito-borne Disease Prevention webpage.
And for a good deal more background on EEE - including a link to a terrific slideshow narrated by by Rebecca Shultz, the Arthropod-borne Disease Surveillance Coordinator for the Florida Department of Health, on mosquito borne diseases - you might want to check out my earlier essay:
Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE)
And of course, over the past year, a small number of Dengue Fever cases have turned up in Florida as well. Of these, 45 are imported cases, while 19 cases are believed to be locally acquired.
Update On The Florida Dengue Cases
In addition West Nile virus (WNV), La Crosse virus (LACV), and St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) also circulate at very low levels in the United States.
So these precautions against mosquitoes aren’t just important for Floridians to heed.
