HASTINGS, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — A Barry County man has been identified as the first human case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis, or EEE, in the state.
Preliminary test results indicated that the patient had EEE and further testing by the MDHHS Bureau of Laboratories confirmed the diagnosis.
WOOD-TV identified the patient as Jeff Wescott of Hastings, who is now being tested at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids.
At last reported, the disease, which is spread by mosquitoes, has infected at least 29 horses in 12 counties.
Health officials say that EEE is one of the most dangerous mosquito-borne diseases in the United States, with a 33 percent fatality rate in people who become ill and a 90 percent fatality rate in horses that become ill. People can be infected with EEE and other mosquito-borne diseases from the bite of a mosquito carrying the viruses.
Signs of EEE infection include the sudden onset of fever, chills, body and joint aches which can progress to a severe encephalitis, resulting in headache, disorientation, tremors, seizures and paralysis. Anyone who thinks they may be experiencing these symptoms should contact a medical provider. Permanent brain damage, coma and death may also occur in some cases.
State health officials have urged residents to take precautions to avoid contact with mosquitoes, including avoiding activities at dusk and dawn, wearing proper clothing, and using insect repellent with DEET.
Calhoun County health officials say that aerial spraying will begin in parts of the county after a horse there tested positive for EEE.
For more information about EEE, visit Michigan.gov/EEE.
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