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What
is Western Equine Encephalitis?
How do
people become infected with WEE virus?
What causes WEE?
Where is WEE found?
What are the
signs and symptoms of WEE?
How soon
after exposure do symptoms appear?
How common is WEE?
Who is at risk
for developing WEE?
How
can people avoid infection with WEE virus?
What
is Western Equine Encephalitis?
Western
Equine Encephalitis (WEE) is a mosquito-borne viral disease
that can affect the central nervous system and cause severe
complications and death.
How do
people become infected with WEE virus?
WEE virus is
transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected
mosquito. The main WEE transmission cycle is between birds and
mosquitoes. Horses can also become infected with, and die
from, WEE virus infection.
What causes WEE?
WEE is
caused by a virus that is a member of the family
Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus. It is closely
related to Eastern and Venezuelan equine encephalitis viruses.
Where is WEE found?
WEE is found
in North, Central, and South America, but most cases have been
reported from the plains regions of the western and central
United States.
What are the
signs and symptoms of WEE?
Infection
can cause a range of illnesses, from no symptoms to fatal
disease. People with mild illness often have only a
headache and sometimes fever. People with more severe
disease can have sudden high fever, headache, drowsiness,
irritability, nausea, and vomiting, followed by confusion,
weakness, and coma. Young infants often suffer seizures.
How soon
after exposure do symptoms appear?
Symptoms
usually appear in 2 to 10 days after the bite of an infected
mosquito.
How common is WEE?
Human cases
occur relatively infrequently and can occur in isolated cases
or in epidemics. Human cases in the US are usually first
seen in June or July.
Who is at risk for
developing WEE?
Anyone can
get WEE, but those at increased risk include people who engage
in outdoor work and recreational activities and people living
in or visiting areas where the disease is common. WEE occurs
in all age groups.
How
can people avoid infection with WEE virus?
Though a
vaccine is available to protect horses, there is no licensed
vaccine for human use.
To avoid
infection people should avoid mosquito bites by employing
personal and household protection measures, such as using
insect repellent containing DEET, wearing protective clothing,
taking precautions from dusk to dawn when mosquitoes are most
likely to bite, and controlling standing water that can
provide mosquito breeding sites.
For more
information or call (602) 364-3289 |
