EEE: Rare But Serious

I recently visited my son up in New Hampshire. While not bad yet, the mosquitoes were just getting started. Because of the risk of both eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile, my son was concerned about the risk of disease to his son (my 15-month-old grandson). For both of these diseases, the real risk of being bitten by an infected mosquito and then developing the disease is very low. Unfortunately, if you are the one who does become ill, the consequences can be very grave. More than half of the people who get sick with EEE will likely die. To reduce the risk of infection, I suggested that the family wear clothing that covered most of the body, avoid times outside when mosquitoes are particularly bad, and wear a repellent, such as DEET. My son was concerned about any potential health risks associated with DEET and small children, so I checked with the American Academy of Pediatrics (see http://aapnews.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/e200399v1), and they recommended use of a product containing 10-30% DEET on children at least 2 months old to protect them against mosquito bites and the diseases that mosquitoes can transmit. As an added safety precaution, always follow label directions. An adult should always apply the repellent to the child, being careful to avoid the mouth and eyes as well as the hands, as the child is likely to rub their eyes or stick their hands in their mouths. While the risk of catching a mosquito-transmitted disease is rare, the consequences can be severe, and we should try to limit exposure to mosquitoes whenever possible.

Independent Experts Dispute Study on DEET Neurotoxicity

A European study using lab animals to examine the possibility that DEET is a neurotoxin produced misleading results and fails to accurately reflect the way that consumers use insect repellents containing DEET, experts say.
DEET is the world’s most popular insect repellent active ingredient and has been used reliably by consumers for more than 50 years.
“The incidence of exposures resulting in neurotoxic effects is very low, when considered in the context of the millions of people around the world who have used insect repellents containing DEET, ” said Daniel Sudakin, M.D., M.P.H., WITH the U.S. National Pesticide Information Center in a BBC News story (http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/8182052.stm).
The BBC News story is a balanced report on the study. A news release issued by the study published and other news stories provide a misleading picture. For more, please visit www.deetonline.org

Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus

Eastern equine encephalitis is a viral infection that is transmitted to humans, horses, other domestic animals (including dogs and pigs), and wild birds through the bite of an infected mosquito. Because of this “mosquito connection,” the eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) is commonly referred to as an arbovirus (arthropod-borne virus). The EEEV has been reported throughout the eastern half of North America (which is the reason for its name), but is particularly prevalent in coastal cedar and hardwood swamps from New Hampshire to peninsular Florida.

The EEEV is normally transmitted between mosquitoes and wild birds in freshwater swamps. This bird-to-mosquito-to-bird transmission cycle is commonly referred to as amplification because it can result in a large number of infected mosquitoes and birds. During most years infected birds and mosquitoes remain in the swamps. During years with wet spring and summer conditions infected mosquitoes disperse from the swamps and carry the EEEV to horses and humans in distant locations. Most wild and domestic animals are not susceptible to infection and do not suffer clinical signs of infection. Some animals (particularly humans and horses) are highly susceptible to EEE infection and these individuals may suffer severe clinical symptoms, often ending in death.

Environmental conditions are extremely important to the EEEV cycle in nature and certain rainfall patterns predispose a region to EEEV transmission. At the University of Florida, Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, we track these conditions and periodically issue releases explaining and updating the current EEEV situation in Florida. To view the most recent information about EEEV in Florida visit:

http://mosquito.ifas.ufl.edu/Documents/MWTD/EEE_Analysis_Florida_June_2009.pdf

and http://eis.ifas.ufl.edu/eis1.htm.

Best wishes for an enjoyable and healthy summer,
Jonathan F. Day, Ph.D.
Professor of Medical Entomology
University of Florida, Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, Vero Beach

Working for CDC has afforded me with opportunities to develop health messages that are read by people throughout the world, which is pretty exciting. It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet people who hear and use those messages.

For that reason one of my greatest rewards has been my involvement with the “Fight the Bite” poster contest that CDC co-sponsors with the DEET Education Program. This is the third year we’ve held the contest and it was the best yet. It was a treat to meet national contest winners Meghan Zengel and Richard Schleicher. The students and their families came together recently for the “Fight the Bite” Poster Contest award ceremony at the Atlanta headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those of us with the CDC and the DEET Education Program, which sponsor the contest, had a great time meeting the students and hearing about their artwork and their interesting plans for the future.
Meghan, a fifth grader, and Richard, a sixth grader, both received a $1,000 U.S. Savings Bond and an award certificate. Plus they won an all-expense-paid trip to Atlanta with their parents (and Meghan’s brother).

Students from New Hampshire to Washington State entered the third annual “Fight the Bite” poster contest. What pleased us most here at CDC was the quality of entries, with their young artists accurately conveying important prevention messages in attractive and creative ways. We can really get some insight into what young people hear from our bug-bite prevention messages, and we always take some new ideas for prevention and promotion away from the event. You can see the list of winners and their posters at http://www.fightthebitecontest.org/.
Richard, who competes in rodeos as a bull rider (what courage! So glad he uses a helmet!), used that thrilling sport as his theme. Meghan, who enjoys reading mystery novels, created a fun and clever poster around a detective with a magnifying glass.

Our contest invites fifth and sixth grade student to create posters encouraging children and adults to protect against mosquito and tick bites and the diseases they can cause. (Please visit http://www.cdc.gov/ for more). A panel of judges, including two top public health leaders, chose two Grand Prize winners—one from each grade—and they selected state winners for fifth grade and sixth grade, who each will receive a $50 savings bond and certificate.
Please tell youngsters who will be in those two grades next year about our contest. Of course, if you’re one, please enter! You’ll have fun, learn some valuable information and get a shot at some nice prizes.

Thanks for visiting our blog.

Spring: Showers, Flowers and... Bugs

Greetings!

This exciting time of year brings sunny days, blooming flowers, spring showers and… bugs.

That’s not to say bugs are bad. They play a vital role in the ecosystem, providing food for birds and fish, pollinating flowers, helping decay organic material and even controlling populations of other insects. But, of course, bug bites can be annoying and sometimes even dangerous.

Mosquitoes are prime candidates for being named among the most “annoying” insects on the planet. But, more than being a nuisance, they spread diseases such as West Nile virus, which has swept across the United States since 1999. In fact, I just attended a scientific meeting co-sponsored by CDC and the American Mosquito Control Association (http://www.mosquito.org/) focused on the ten-year history of WNV in our county. While human cases have declined slightly (www.cdc.gov/westnile), there are still states where WNV remains a true danger, such as California, Arizona, Colorado and Texas. And researchers recently published a study that showed climate change—with warmer and wetter weather in some spots—appears to elevate WNV infections. Plus, mosquitoes spread other diseases, such as La Crosse encephalitis, which can make people seriously ill. So, not only do you want to protect against mosquito bites to avoid the itching aftermath, you want to avoid contracting a mosquito-borne disease.

You also want to protect against bites from ticks, which can cause serious infections, most commonly Lyme disease. Spring and early summer is primetime for the deer ticks that spread Lyme, according to the America Lyme Disease Association (http://www.aldf.com/). That’s when young “nymphal” ticks are seeking the blood they need to grow. They’re only about the size of a poppy seed, so a careful tick check is critical after you return indoors. And keep in mind you don’t have to be in the woods to encounter ticks. Most people reporting a tick bite say it came from right in their own yards.

You can find tips to avoid bites on our website (www.deetonline.org/tips.php) and on the websites above. You can post questions, suggestions and comments below, or via info@deetonline.org.

Best wishes for a wonderful and healthy spring and summer!
Susan
Susan E. Little
Executive Director, DEET Education Program