Chittenden County man dies from eastern equine encephalitis

Updated at 3:45 p.m.

The Vermont Department of Health announced Thursday that a Chittenden County man died from eastern equine encephalitis in early September.

The man, in his 70s, is the first person to die from the disease in Vermont since 2012, according to a press release from the department. He was hospitalized in late August, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the test results this week, the release states.

Eastern equine encephalitis, often referred to as EEE, is a rare but serious disease transmitted through mosquitoes. Approximately 30% of people die People who develop severe symptoms, according to the CDC.

There is no vaccine or treatment for this disease. Symptoms include headache, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, seizures, behavioral changes, and drowsiness.

One other person confirmed to be infected Chittenden County was infected with the disease this year. However, he recovered after being hospitalized in August. A horse in Addison County died from the disease in September.

Health Commissioner Mark Levin, while warning Vermonters living in high-risk areas to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites, said in an interview that “the mosquito bite that had that unfortunate outcome… “It is highly likely that this occurred in mid-August, when the risk of infection was high.” EEE was more expensive.

“So, we're in the middle of October. The circumstances and timing are very different, but the risk is still not zero,” he said.

Department of Health data Although the number of new mosquitoes confirmed with the disease is declining, data collected from Sept. 22 to 28 shows that 261 of the 261 mosquitoes tested in Grand Isle and Albarra Two of the mosquito pools contained the virus.

Officials continue to appeal to residents. High-risk communities Parts of Addison, Chittenden, Grand Isle and Rutland counties are required to take precautions. These include limiting your outdoor time between 6pm and 6am, wearing loose-fitting clothing with long sleeves and pants; effective insect repellentrepair holes in window screens and remove standing water outside your home.

In both of Vermont's EEE cases confirmed this year, the Department of Health notified the public several weeks after the patient was suspected of being infected. Levine said the delay was due to logistical issues in confirming that a patient has EEE.

He said it takes time for flu-like illnesses to develop, and even longer for patients to experience encephalitis, the most severe of EEE's symptoms, swelling of the brain.

In the fatal case, the patient was likely bitten in mid-August.

“Of course, these neurological symptoms occurred throughout the remainder of August,” Levine said. “Hospitalizations occurred and, unfortunately, the tragic conclusion of death occurred in early September.”

The hospital ran tests along the way, but because there are many diseases that can cause encephalitis, “we had no certainty that this was a case of EEE,” Levine said.

Hospital officials had to send the EEE test to an out-of-state lab, but the results were not yet clear, he said. The Department of Health then had to approve sending new tests to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which takes at least three weeks to process in the summer. The health department received results this week that the person tested positive for EEE.

Who is most at risk?

People most likely to become infected with EEE are those who spend long periods of time outdoors in areas with high mosquito populations who have tested positive for the virus.

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets collected the first mosquito samples showing: presence of virus In Vermont, outbreaks occurred in Alvara and Swanton on July 22, according to an Aug. 2 announcement from the Vermont Department of Health.

That has led state officials to worry about people living outdoors due to a housing shortage, especially across Burlington and Chittenden counties. “That's why we created a program this year to distribute bug wipes throughout homeless encampments and properties within Burlington, because we knew there was more mosquito activity in Chittenden County.” said Levine.

Globally, climate change is increasing the risk of diseases spread by insects such as mosquitoes and ticks. This is also a concern in Vermont, Levine said. Vermont continues to experience intense heat, a longer warm season, and more rain and flooding that causes water buildup, all of which are favorable conditions for mosquitoes.

However, there are so few confirmed cases of EEE that it is difficult for scientists to know whether certain underlying conditions increase the risk of experiencing severe symptoms or dying after contracting the disease. said Levine.

For example, with regard to COVID-19, the Ministry of Health has emphasized that older people and people with immunocompromised diseases are at a much higher risk of death, he said. With EEE, only about 5 percent of people with the disease experience the most severe symptoms, but “everyone can be at risk,” he said.

“My condolences go out to the family and everyone affected by this sad event,” Levine said in a department press release. “This is a heartbreaking reminder that while infections with the virus that causes EEE remain rare, the disease can have serious consequences.”