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Western Equine Encephalitis
CLINICAL FEATURES
- Symptoms range from
mild flu-like illness to frank encephalitis, coma and death
ETIOLOGIC AGENT
- Western equine
encephalitis virus, member of the family Togaviridae, genus
Alphavirus.
Closely related to eastern and Venezuelan equine encephalitis viruses
INCIDENCE
- 639 confirmed cases in
the U.S. since 1964
SEQUELAE
- Mild to severe
neurologic deficits in survivors
COSTS
- Total case costs range
from $21,000 for transiently infected individuals to $3 million for severely
infected individuals
- Insecticide
applications can cost as much as $1.4 million depending on the size of area
treated
TRANSMISSION
RISK GROUPS
- Residents of endemic
areas and visitors
- Persons with outdoor
work and recreational activities
SURVEILLANCE
- National Notifiable
Diseases Surveillance System
TRENDS
- Epidemic disease that
is difficult to predict
- Risk exposure increases
as population expands into endemic areas
CHALLENGES
- No licensed vaccine for
human use
- No effective
therapeutic drug
- Unknown overwintering
cycle
- Control measures
expensive
- Limited financial
support of surveillance and prevention
OPPORTUNITIES
- Mosquito control
- Education of
health-care workers and the public
- Integrated State and
Federal prevention efforts
- Vaccine development
- Therapeutic development
RESEARCH
PRIORITIES
- Improve predictive
capabilities
- Develop and evaluate
vaccines
- Develop and evaluate
therapeutics
- Improve diagnostic and
virus detection tests
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