Florida health officials warn of deadly mosquito-borne virus
Public health officials in Florida are warning that signs of a rare brain-infecting virus have been found in Orange County.
Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) was found in a flock of sentinel chickens, which are used by health officials to track the spread of infectious diseases.
They are warning that if the disease has spread to birds, human infections could follow.
EEEV is a particularly rare infection – it tends to spread in remote, swampy areas far from human civilization – but when it does strike, it can be fatal, although deaths are rare.
However, a bite from an infected mosquito can cause severe, fatal brain swelling in a matter of days.
"Human cases are rare, but human cases are so bad. It’s useful to be alert to what could change," said Sadie Ryan, professor at the Emerging Pathogens Institute at the University of Florida.
Due to the climate, Florida is the only state where EEEV-carrying mosquitoes are present year-round, but scientists are warning it could have a bigger impact in years to come due to climate change.
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