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Chicken tests positive for Eastern equine encephalitis
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August 8, 2008 - 7:27PM
Sue Book
Sun Journal
<!-- Video goes here -->A sentinel chicken in Craven County has tested positive for Eastern equine encephalitis.
It was the first instance of EEE in Craven County this year and was detected during regular tests of the county's three sentinel flocks, said Jamie Johnson, the Craven County Health Department's vector program manager.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is a mosquito-borne viral disease that occurs in humans, horses and some bird species in the eastern half of the United States. Because of the high mortality rate, EEE is regarded as one of the most serious mosquito-borne diseases in the U.S.
Two cases of EEE were detected in Chowan County's sentinel flock last week, according to CDC maps. The maps show no North Carolina cases thus far in other birds, mosquitoes, veterinary animals or humans.
Johnson said, however, that he had heard of two cases this year of horses that had to be put down because of EEE.
A positive test from a Craven sentinel chicken indicates that at least some mosquitoes in the county are carrying the virus. A vaccination exists for horses but not for humans.
Tests done by the N.C. State Public Health Laboratory showed that a bird in the Harlowe area sentinel flock was infected with EEE, Johnson said. Craven County has sentinel chicken flocks of five birds each at three locations, Harlowe, Vanceboro, and Fairfield Harbour.
Mosquitoes do not stray far from where they hatch but the virus can spread by infected species bitten by another mosquito and transferred farther away.
Johnson said Craven residents should not assume their area is safe from EEE just because the infected bird was in southeastern Craven County.
"We are getting very low counts of mosquitoes now but the mosquitoes out there are infected," he said.
"People should take every precaution against mosquito bites," Johnson said.
Precautions against mosquito bites include covering up exposed skin with long pants and long-sleeved shirts, limiting outdoor activity at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active and applying repellants containing DEET.
Craven has one mosquito - culistea melanura - that feeds only on birds but also has an opportunistic bridge mosquito that could feed on affected birds, and then potentially carry the virus to a mammal.
It generally takes from three to 10 days to develop symptoms of EEE after being bitten by an infected mosquito, according to the CDC. Symptoms in mammals range from mild flu-like illness to encephalitis or inflammation of the brain, coma and death.
An average of five people in the country each year, and one in North Carolina, are infected with the disease and between 30 and 50 percent of them die, according to the CDC and North Carolina Public Health information.
There is treatment, but no cure, for EEE. The best defense against EEE infection is to avoid mosquito bites.:tiphat: http://www.newbernsj.com/news/chicken_41514___article.html/encephalitis_county.html
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August 8, 2008 - 7:27PM
Sue Book
Sun Journal
<!-- Video goes here -->A sentinel chicken in Craven County has tested positive for Eastern equine encephalitis.
It was the first instance of EEE in Craven County this year and was detected during regular tests of the county's three sentinel flocks, said Jamie Johnson, the Craven County Health Department's vector program manager.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is a mosquito-borne viral disease that occurs in humans, horses and some bird species in the eastern half of the United States. Because of the high mortality rate, EEE is regarded as one of the most serious mosquito-borne diseases in the U.S.
Two cases of EEE were detected in Chowan County's sentinel flock last week, according to CDC maps. The maps show no North Carolina cases thus far in other birds, mosquitoes, veterinary animals or humans.
Johnson said, however, that he had heard of two cases this year of horses that had to be put down because of EEE.
A positive test from a Craven sentinel chicken indicates that at least some mosquitoes in the county are carrying the virus. A vaccination exists for horses but not for humans.
Tests done by the N.C. State Public Health Laboratory showed that a bird in the Harlowe area sentinel flock was infected with EEE, Johnson said. Craven County has sentinel chicken flocks of five birds each at three locations, Harlowe, Vanceboro, and Fairfield Harbour.
Mosquitoes do not stray far from where they hatch but the virus can spread by infected species bitten by another mosquito and transferred farther away.
Johnson said Craven residents should not assume their area is safe from EEE just because the infected bird was in southeastern Craven County.
"We are getting very low counts of mosquitoes now but the mosquitoes out there are infected," he said.
"People should take every precaution against mosquito bites," Johnson said.
Precautions against mosquito bites include covering up exposed skin with long pants and long-sleeved shirts, limiting outdoor activity at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active and applying repellants containing DEET.
Craven has one mosquito - culistea melanura - that feeds only on birds but also has an opportunistic bridge mosquito that could feed on affected birds, and then potentially carry the virus to a mammal.
It generally takes from three to 10 days to develop symptoms of EEE after being bitten by an infected mosquito, according to the CDC. Symptoms in mammals range from mild flu-like illness to encephalitis or inflammation of the brain, coma and death.
An average of five people in the country each year, and one in North Carolina, are infected with the disease and between 30 and 50 percent of them die, according to the CDC and North Carolina Public Health information.
There is treatment, but no cure, for EEE. The best defense against EEE infection is to avoid mosquito bites.:tiphat: http://www.newbernsj.com/news/chicken_41514___article.html/encephalitis_county.html
