Young virus victim continues recovery
Three counties have increased spraying in response to the girl's contracting a deadly mosquito-borne illness.
By BRIDGET HALL GRUMET
Published July 29, 2005
WESLEY CHAPEL - A 16-month-old girl is continuing to recover from an infection of Eastern equine encephalitis, a rare but extremely serious disease spread by mosquitoes.
There is no treatment for the virus, which causes flulike symptoms and a potentially deadly swelling of the brain. But doctors are treating the young girl's symptoms with the hope that she'll fight off the infection, said Dr. Marc Yacht, director of the Pasco County Health Department.
"To my knowledge, as of my last report, the child is coming along," Yacht said Thursday. "But it's a very serious disease, and we're just all hoping this 16-month-old will be able to recover."
In all likelihood, Yacht said, the girl became sick from a mosquito bite near her Wesley Chapel home. But the girl traveled recently to Hernando and Hillsborough counties, raising the possibility she could have been bitten there.
Like the West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis, Eastern equine encephalitis is carried by birds that pass on the virus to mosquitoes. The insects can then infect horses or humans. Neither horses nor humans can pass the disease to others.
The Wesley Chapel girl, whose name health officials have withheld because of patient privacy concerns, is the first Floridian to contract the disease in two years. It's the first human case in Pasco that Yacht can remember in his 18 years with the county.
Mosquito control officials in all three counties have stepped up spraying efforts.
A Pasco plane sprayed Zephyrhills, Dade City and Trilby on Wednesday night. Hernando County plans to add Saturday sprays in addition to the Monday through Friday ones, and increase spraying in rural areas, said Guangye Hu, mosquito control director.
Hillsborough County has increased its spraying along the Pasco-Hillsborough county line just south of Wesley Chapel, said Donnie Hayes, mosquito control general manager.
"That was just another one of those little triggers that say, "Hey, there's something going on up here,' " Hayes said.
But people still need to protect themselves, Yacht said. He recommends wearing an insect repellent that contains DEET, wearing clothes that cover arms and legs and avoiding the outdoors at dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.
Eastern equine encephalitis is one of the most serious mosquito-borne diseases, with a 35 percent fatality rate, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On average, however, only four people across the country get the disease each year.
Bridget Hall Grumet can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6244 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6244. Her e-mail address is bhall@sptimes.com