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EASTERN EQUINE ENCEPHALITIS - USA (21): (NEW HAMPSHIRE), MOSQUITO SURVEILLANCE
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A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Date: 8 Nov 2009
Source: Eagle Tribune [edited]
<http://www.eagletribune.com/punewsnh/local_story_311223652.html?keyword=secondarystory>
More EEE found in NH this year than ever before
-----------------------------------------------
More mosquito batches tested positive for Eastern equine encephalitis
(EEE) in New Hampshire this year [2009] than ever before. Add to that
the fact the state tested considerably fewer [mosquito] batches than
in years past, and it adds up to a bad year for the presence of EEE
in the Granite State. And it could mean another bad year ahead in
2010. The only good news is there was only one human case of EEE this
year: a 3-year-old from Candia who survived.
"It was way, way higher than it ever has been before," said Alan
Eaton, an entomologist with the University of New Hampshire
Cooperative Extension. He said some of that increase could be
attributed to the way the state tested this year -- but not all. "It
suggessts to me the risk this year was the highest since we have been
keeping records, 2003 or 2004," Eaton said.
This year, 73 mosquito batches tested positive for EEE, according to
Beth Daly of the state Department of Health and Human Services. That
compares to 8 positive batches last year and just 6 in 2007. And,
interestingly, the state tested far fewer batches this year, Daly
said. "We tested significantly less -- 3,887 tested pools," she said.
"The last couple of years, we're been testing around 10 000 or more.
We lost federal funding and get no state funding, so we did more
targeted testing."
The state targeted mosquito species most likely to test positive, so
although they tested fewer batches, the testing was more efficient,
Daly said. Regardless, the numbers bear out a high level of EEE
presence in New Hampshire in 2009.
"We may have expected more human cases ... but it's hard to
extrapolate," Daly said. "We certainly had human-biting mosquitoes
that tested positive. We were probably lucky."
People are more careful about protection
----------------------------------------
Eaton would like to think the state's single human case of EEE this
year means residents have become better educated about the risks
associated with mosquitoes and have begun to take precautions to
protect themselves. That means using insect repellent, scheduling
fall athletic events earlier in the day or on Saturday morning,
spraying mosquito larvae and adults, and reducing standing water.
"I hope it's because people are listening now," Eaton said. "To me,
this is an example of empowerment. By giving people a little bit of
information, you empower them to reduce their risk and you can reduce
risk tremendously by what you do."
He said the numbers bear that out. In 2005, only 15 mosquito batches
tested positive in New Hampshire, but there were 7 human cases,
including 2 deaths. That's a big difference from this year's 73
positive batches and single human case of EEE.
But it's more about the percentage of positive batches, according to
Eaton. This year 0.018 percent of batches tested were positive. That
sounds like a small percentage, but it's a huge increase over 2008,
when just 0.00079 percent of batches tested were positive. There were
no human cases of EEE last year.
Seven animals -- 2 alpacas, 3 horses, a llama and an emu -- tested
positive for EEE this year. There was just one animal case last year.
Also unusual this year was 6 canaries in Rochester that tested
positive for EEE.
The state has stopped testing birds for EEE, Daly said, and never
tested canaries. But this group was different, she said. "If
requested to do so for specific veterinary purposes, we might test
birds," she said. "This was a large group of outdoor canaries. They
were housed outdoors. The veterinarian had requested EEE testing.
Given the fact so many died within a particular flock, we agreed to test."
Daly said the state has found testing birds is not a useful signal
for the presence of EEE, although they used to test hundreds of birds a year.
The state had no reported presence of West Nile virus this year and
just a single mosquito batch tested positive for that disease in
2008. But there's no quick answer as to why that is, she said.
"We've never had a lot of West Nile activity," she said. "We have had
human cases, but they were not believed to be locally acquired."
EEE is a tough disease to forecast
----------------------------------
What this year's results portend for next year isn't clear, but it's
probably not good.
"EEE is very difficult to predict," Daly said.
The loss of federal funding this year translated into the loss of 2
positions -- a surveillance coordinator and a lab technician.
The state has applied to the federal government for the funding again
and if it's restored, would fill those 2 openings, Daly said. That
would allow the state to "ramp up" testing next year, she said, do
more investigation and data collection.
Daly was reluctant to forecast what 2010 might bring, and Eaton
agreed it's a tough thing to do.
"To some degree, I think the high incidence of positives suggests we
might get a higher-than-average year next year -- and we should brace
oourselves," he said.
But a lot of questions remain unanswered, including how EEE
overwinters, he said. He and others in the field will gather later
this year to analyze data and try to draw some conclusions.
Towns already are planning for how much, if anything, they will spend
to spray for mosquitoes next year. Not only do municipalities have to
budget for spraying, Eaton said, they also have to go through a
fairly lengthy permit process.
A total of 32 New Hampshire municipalities had positive mosquito
pools this year, Daly said. Those towns included Derry, Windham,
Atkinson, Plaistow, Newton, Kingston, Danville and Sandown.
Rockingham County continues to be the center of EEE activity in the state.
"Rockingham County has been the heaviest risk area for a good long
time," Eaton said. "There are some factors we think we know
contribute to that and others are open to question."
One thing experts do know is that the county offers the ideal habitat
for larvae in the species of mosquito that spreads EEE in the bird
population. But lots of other questions remain unanswered, he said.
The state is still working with towns on the 2009 mosquito season.
Towns that spray can request reimbursement for up to 25 percent of
the cost of spraying.
Daly expects a record number of towns will request reimbursement this
year and that may mean each town will get a smaller piece of the pie.
The state has a pool of USD 160 000 to help towns pay for spraying.
Municipalities have until 1 Dec 2009 to request reimbursement.
Eaton and his colleagues will meet this month or next and come up
with some "best guesses" about what this year's results may mean for
2010, he said. "We'll hope for the best, but prepare for the worst," he said.
[Byline: Jo-Anne MacKenzie
<jmackenzie@eagletribune.com>]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[It is interesting this article states "the state targeted mosquito
species most likely to test positive." So why haven't they been doing
that in the past? I wonder if they did not feel they needed to target
certain mosquitoes because there was not much of problem.
It is a positive step that awareness has been increased and people
are taking necessary precautions against EEE or WNV or any other
mosquito-borne disease. Yet it seems weather plays a role in the
available moisture
While neither of people in this article wanted to positively state
that this year's increase may be trending toward a long range
increase, they both believe the situation will not see improvement in
2010. Detectives might call that a hunch. Time will tell whether the
trend increases or if a dry year will decrease the trend. - Mod.TG]
[The interactive HealthMap/ProMED map for New Hampshire is available at:
<http://healthmap.org/r/00-3> - CopyEd.EJP]
[see also:
Eastern equine encephalitis - Canada (04): (NS) 20091107.3845
Eastern equine encephalitis - Canada (03): (NS) 20091105.3826
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (20): (RI) 20091014.3543
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (19): (NY) human 20091002.3434
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (18): (ME, RI)
pheasant 20091002.3426
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (17): (NY) human 20091001.3413
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (16): (ME, RI) pheasant
20090930.3407
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (15): (NH) emu 20090929.3397
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (14): (MA, ME) 20090926.3369
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (13): (ME, NH) human 20090917.3259
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (12): (ME) 20090911.3203
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (11): (FL, VA) 20090907.3157
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (10): (ME) 20090905.3127
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine, alpaca - USA: (NC, VA) 20090828.3034
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (09): (VA) 20090813.2883
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (08): (GA) 20090802.2716
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (07): (NC) 20090727.2646
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (06): (TX) 20090718.2558
Eastern equine enceph., equine, emus 2008 - Canada: (QC),
background 20090715.2528
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (05): (MO, VA) 20090714.2507
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (04): (FL, LA) 20090709.2454
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (03): (FL) 20090701.2378
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (02): (LA) 20090627.2332
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA: (GA) 20090613.2197]
....................tg/ejp/dk
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