Reported Case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Found in Franklin County

On Friday, September 4, 2015 the Franklin County Department of Health announced that a horse from the St. Regis Falls Area has been identified as infected with the Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEE) and the county is considering a surveillance program to detect EEE in the mosquito population. This is the first discovery of this virus in Franklin County and according to their department; any horse residing in Franklin County is at risk for becoming infected with EEE. The EEE virus is transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitos. An elderly resident of Onondaga County died in early September after being infected by the EEE virus. The virus affects horses and human. There are only about 5 cases reported each year. The virus is rare but very deadly, at least a third of all reported EEE cases are fatal and if a person does survive it is usually with mild to severe brain damage. In the United States, approximately 5-10 EEE cases are reported annually, according to the state Health Department. Five human cases had been reported in New York prior to this year –– one each in 1971, 1983, 2009, 2010 and 2011. All were fatal.

For questions about EEE, contact Franklin County Public Health at 481-1710 or after hours at 877-410-5753, press #5.