In two American states, Vermont and Massachusetts, authorities have imposed a curfew on residents due to the deadly Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus, the Daily Mail reports. This rare and very dangerous disease is spread by mosquitoes.
The Vermont Department of Health has revealed symptoms of the disease — vomiting, seizures, brain swelling and death — and has advised residents of 16 cities to stay home from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., the time of greatest insect activity.
Patsy Casey, Vermont’s state epidemiologist, told the Vermont Public that several cases of VEE have been identified in the region since early summer, including one fatality this week.
She added that the disease tends to reappear in New England about every decade and persists for several years. In addition, the exceptionally wet weather that Vermont has seen this past summer and this year creates additional breeding grounds for the insects, she added.
The Usutu virus is dangerous because it causes fever , and in some cases, encephalitis, said earlier Professor of the Department of Virology at Moscow State University, Doctor of Biological Sciences Alexey Agranovsky. The expert added that there is no vaccine against this virus. Usutu is transmitted through mosquito bites. At the same time, he noted that it is impossible to distinguish an infected insect from a normal one.