| For Immediate Release August 20, 2021
Contact: Elizabeth Goodsitt/Jennifer Miller 608-266-1683 Health Department Urges People to Keep Taking Steps To Avoid Mosquito-Related Illnesses Four cases of Eastern equine encephalitis have been found in Wisconsin horses As summer winds down and the risk for some illnesses spread by mosquitoes goes up, health officials are encouraging Wisconsin residents to use simple prevention steps to Fight the Bite. On average, 44 human cases of illnesses spread by mosquitoes in Wisconsin are reported to public health each year. Since many infections cause mild illness that goes undiagnosed, the actual number of Wisconsin cases is likely to be much higher. Mosquito-related illnesses can also affect animals.Recently, the first Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) activity this year was reported in four horses, one each in Monroe, Burnett, Calumet and Marquette counties. EEE is spread through the bite of a mosquito carrying the virus, which mosquitoes can get after biting an infected bird. While horses can't spread EEE directly to humans or even to mosquitoes that bite them, a case of EEE in a horse confirms that some mosquitoes in
the area are infected with the virus and may spread EEE to people and other animals. Symptoms of EEE in humans include the sudden onset of fever, chills, and body and joint aches. EEE infection can develop into severe encephalitis, resulting in headache, disorientation, tremors, seizures, and paralysis. Permanent brain damage, coma, and death may also occur in some cases. These symptoms are similar to those caused by West Nile virus (WNV) another illness spread by mosquitoes that is most commonly spread during late summer, though WNV is less likely to cause severe illness or death. There have not yet been any cases of WNV reported in horses or humans so far in 2021. View the entire news release. | 
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