什么是東方馬腦炎?

什么是東方馬腦炎?

Another mosquito-transmitted illness is making headlines as the annoying insect continues to earn its reputation as the world's deadliest animal.

另一種由蚊子傳播的疾病成為頭條新聞，這種令人討厭的昆蟲繼續(xù)贏得了世界上最致命動物的名聲。

The Culex mosquito, or Southern house mosquito, can transmit Eastern equine encephalitis. (Photo: Muhammad Mahdi Karim [GFDL 1.2]/Wikimedia Commons)

The Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus was confirmed in Massachusetts and New York this summer, Newsweek reports. Hospital representatives at Tufts Medical Center said a Massachusetts woman in her 50s died in late August after contracting the mosquito-borne illness.

據(jù)《新聞周刊》報道，東方馬腦炎病毒(EEE)今年夏天在馬薩諸塞州和紐約得到證實。塔夫茨醫(yī)療中心的醫(yī)院代表說，馬薩諸塞州一名50多歲的婦女感染了這種由蚊子傳播的疾病，于8月底去世。

What is Eastern equine encephalitis?

什么是東方馬腦炎?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the EEE virus can cause encephalitis, which is rare inflammation of the brain. In the United States, there are usually only five to 10 cases of EEE reported each year. It can only be transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito. Some of the mosquitoes that can spread the virus to humans include the Aedes, Coquillettidia and Culex species. EEE can't be spread from person to person or from horses to people.

根據(jù)美國疾病控制和預(yù)防中心(CDC)的研究，EEE病毒可導(dǎo)致腦炎，這是一種罕見的腦部炎癥。在美國，每年通常只報告5到10例EEE病例。它只能通過受感染蚊子的叮咬傳播。一些能將病毒傳播給人類的蚊子包括伊蚊、Coquillettidia和庫蚊。EEE不能從一個人傳染給另一個人，也不能從馬傳染給人。

The disease was first recognized in 1831 when 75 horses died of a similar condition in Massachusetts, according to a Purdue University newsletter edited by virologist Dr. Roman Pogranichniy. The virus was isolated two years later when a significant outbreak of encephalomyelitis occurred in horses in parts of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia, along the coast.

根據(jù)病毒學(xué)家Roman Pogranichniy博士編輯的普渡大學(xué)通訊，1831年首次發(fā)現(xiàn)了這種疾病，馬薩諸塞州有75匹馬死于類似的疾病。兩年后，在特拉華州、馬里蘭州、新澤西州和弗吉尼亞州沿海部分地區(qū)爆發(fā)了一場大規(guī)模的馬腦脊髓炎疫情，病毒被分離出來。

Symptoms of EEE

EEE的癥狀

Early symptoms of EEE are very similar to the flu. They often begin with headache, high fever, chills, muscle aches and vomiting. The illness can progress with more severe symptoms including seizures, disorientation and coma. About one-third of those who get the virus die, according to the CDC. Many of those who survive can have mild to severe brain damage.

EEE的早期癥狀與流感非常相似。它們通常以頭痛、高燒、發(fā)冷、肌肉疼痛和嘔吐開始。這種疾病會發(fā)展成更嚴重的癥狀，包括癲癇、定向障礙和昏迷。根據(jù)CDC的數(shù)據(jù)，大約三分之一的感染者死亡。許多幸存下來的人可能有輕微到嚴重的腦損傷。

Who is at risk of EEE?

誰有EEE的風(fēng)險?

Most cases of EEE have been reported from Gulf Coast and Atlantic states, although the virus has also been found in the Great Lakes area and scattered throughout the country. It's most commonly contracted in late spring through early fall, reports the CDC.

大多數(shù)EEE病例報告來自墨西哥灣沿岸和大西洋沿岸國家，盡管該病毒也在五大湖地區(qū)發(fā)現(xiàn)并散布在全國各地。疾控中心報告說，最常見的感染是在春末秋初。

Anyone who is in an area where the virus is spreading can become infected. The risk is greater for people who spend more time outdoors, particularly in areas where there are mosquitoes.

任何在病毒傳播地區(qū)的人都可能被感染。對于那些花更多時間在戶外的人來說，風(fēng)險更大，尤其是在有蚊子的地方。

Is there a treatment?

有治療方法嗎?

Although there is an effective vaccine for horses, there is no EEE vaccine for people.

雖然有一種針對馬的有效疫苗，但還沒有針對人的EEE疫苗。

There is also no specific antiviral treatment for EEE, so the only treatment is supportive care and, of course, prevention. Ward off and kill mosquitoes by using insect repellent, fans, protective clothing and preventative measures to stop them from breeding in your yard.

EEE也沒有特定的抗病毒治療，所以唯一的治療是支持性護理，當(dāng)然，還有預(yù)防。使用驅(qū)蚊劑、風(fēng)扇、防護服和預(yù)防措施來阻止蚊子在你的院子里繁殖，從而防止和殺死蚊子。

"The key to staying safe is protection,” said Sam Telford, professor at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and expert on disease spread by ticks and mosquitoes. “Even though EEE is rare, there’s no way to know where and when it can strike.”

塔夫茨大學(xué)(Tufts University)卡明斯獸醫(yī)學(xué)院(Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine)教授、蜱蟲和蚊子傳播疾病專家薩姆•特爾福德(Sam Telford)表示:“保持安全的關(guān)鍵是保護。”“盡管EEE很罕見，但我們無法知道它會在何時何地襲擊我們。”