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- International Society for Infectious Diseases
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- Date: Fri 8 Aug 2003
- From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org
- Source: Anniston Star, Thu 7 Aug 2003 [edited]
- <http://www.annistonstar.com/news/2003/as-state-0807-0-3h06v2242.htm<
/FONT>
- Alabama: 2 Suspected Eastern Equine Encephalitis Deaths
in south of State
- --------------------------------------------------
-
- A man and a child died at the same hospital within 24
hours of each other from what officials said could be Eastern equine encephalitis,
which has not killed anyone in Alabama since 1996. Dr. Dan Raulerson, the
medical examiner for Escambia County in rural south Alabama, said both
patients came to the hospital in Brewton on Fri 25 Jul 2003. The adult,
an older man from Castleberry, died that night and the child died the next
day. "Both autopsies indicated encephalitis," he said. The man
and child lived within 6 miles of a farm where a horse recently died of
the rare but deadly mosquito-borne disease, county health officials said.
Tests are to be conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
to determine the cause of death in both cases.
-
- Along with the 2 possible deaths from Eastern equine
encephalitis, an 81-year-old World War II veteran from Gulf Shores became
the 2nd Alabamian to die of West Nile virus, a relative told the Mobile
Register on Wed 6 Aug 2003. West Nile virus is not nearly as deadly as
Eastern equine encephalitis, which is rare in the United States. The CDC
says there are only 5 cases on average reported each year, but it kills
about 1/3, and survivors may suffer brain damage. "The chances of
getting the disease, West Nile or EEE, are still very slim," said
Ricky Elliott of the Escambia County Health Department's environmental
health office. "But when 2 people die within 24 hours -- it has many
in health care nervous. People have got to act to reduce standing water
near their homes and take precautions to protect themselves."
-
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