Eastern Equine Encephalitis reported in a white-tailed deer in Connecticut
Eastern Equine Encephalitis reported in a white-tailed deer in Connecticut
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced recently that a white-tailed deer that exhibited neurologic symptoms and died on August 12, 2024, in Lisbon, Connecticut, was infected with the eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus. EEE is rarely documented in wild mammals.
The CT Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Connecticut (UCONN) conducted a necropsy and tested the deer for various diseases, including rabies, hemorrhagic disease, West Nile virus (WNV), and EEE, and determined that the EEE virus caused the deer’s neurologic symptoms.
This finding is rare in wild mammals but is not surprising since EEE-positive mosquitoes have been documented by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) in nearby towns. However, this finding also indicates that the EEE virus is present in mammal-biting mosquitoes, prompting Connecticut’s Mosquito Management Program to continue to advise residents to take proper precautions to protect themselves from mosquito bites, such as wearing mosquito repellent and covering bare skin, especially during dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
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“DEEP urges residents to continue to take appropriate precautions to avoid contact with mosquitoes,” said DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes. “With EEE now detected in mammal-biting mosquitoes in Eastern Connecticut, residents should continue to be vigilant when taking part in outdoor activities to avoid exposure to mosquito bites.”
“Infection with EEE virus can cause serious illness affecting the brain. Symptoms include high fever, headache, stiff neck, and decreased consciousness,” said Department of Public Health (DPH) Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD. “The disease is fatal in 25-50 percent of cases and many of those who recover experience lasting health problems. Individuals with symptoms suggestive of EEE infection should contact their physician immediately. No human vaccine against EEE virus infection or specific antiviral treatment for clinical EEE virus infections is available.”
EEE is a serious but rare illness caused by a virus that is transmitted by mosquitoes. It is the most severe mosquito-transmitted disease in the U.S., with approximately 40 percent mortality and significant brain damage in half of survivors. No human or horse cases of EEE have been reported in Connecticut this year, although human cases have been documented in Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Jersey.