A report claims that cases of the deadly mosquito-borne virus Eastern equine encephalitis, otherwise known as EEE, are expected to increase in the Northeast region in the future.
According to numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States had 38 confirmed cases of EEE in 2019, with 15 deaths, reports New York Post. In the Northeast, the state of Massachusetts had 12 cases, and four in New Jersey and Connecticut.
The highest number of cases in the country was 15, with five deaths, back in 2012.
But a new report published on Medium by Australian researcher Oscar Schwartz asserts that cases of EEE will soar as the wet and hot spring and summer months see rising temperatures.
“These conditions are predicted to both persist and become more extreme in the Northeast over the coming decades,” Schwartz said.
Schwartz reported that by the time 2035 happens, the region is “projected to be more than 2.6 degrees warmer on average than during the preindustrial era, and the freeze-free period between spring and fall is expected to last up to three weeks longer.”
Ninety-five percent of people who are bitten by an EEE infected mosquito don’t develop an infection.
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In October, RADIO.COM spoke to infectious diseases expert Dr. Robert Glatter about how to best to protect yourself from EEE virus.
Glatter, an emergency physician on staff at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said EEE is a rare, life-threatening virus that can cause permanent brain damage. It is a dangerous mosquito-born illness that has caused deaths across the United States. Glatter said the best way to prevent infection from EEE is to prevent mosquito bites.
Glatter recommends the following techniques to protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites.
—Use bug spray
—Wear long sleeves, long pants, and shoes with socks
—Buy netting, it helps
—Stay indoors at dusk and after dark
—Make sure to inspect your home
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