Argentina reports 1st human Western Equine Encephalitis case in decades
The Ministry of Health of the Nation reports that positive results for Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE) were obtained in samples from a patient residing in the department of General Obligado, province of Santa Fe, where the National Agri-Food Health and Quality Service (Senasa) previously registered cases of the disease in horses.
This is the first case in humans after more than two decades. without records, since the last detections were in 1983 and 1996.
The last recorded human cases were reported in 1996 and 1983.
Argentina declares state of emergency due to Equine Encephalitis (EEE/WEE/VEE)
Based on the Epidemiological Alert that the Ministry of Health of the Nation had issued on November 28, based on the appearance of cases in horses, epidemiological surveillance in humans was launched.
To date, the National Service of Animal Health and Agrifood Quality (Senasa) has reported 920 outbreaks of Equine Encephalitis disease in horses, in 15 provinces of the country: Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Córdoba, Entre RÃos, Corrientes, Chaco, La Pampa, Santiago del Estero, Formosa, RÃo Negro, San Luis, Jujuy, Misiones, Mendoza and Nuequén. In addition, a case was registered in a sheep.
In humans, Western Equine Encephalitis has an incubation period of 2 to 10 days. Most cases are asymptomatic or present as mild symptoms with fever, fatigue, muscle pain and general malaise that resolve spontaneously in 7 to 10 days.
