An American man died last week after a five-year battle with a mosquito-borne virus that kills almost 30% of patients. The rare disease is making a comeback in the tri-state region of the East Coast.
According to the New York Post, Richard Paulski, 49, of Colchester, Connecticut, contracted Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in August 2019 while working in a garden on a woodland property. did. Even those who survive the initial outbreak of the virus, which attacks the brain, are often left with lingering disabilities and neurological problems. When Pawlski first developed the condition, he suffered from severe migraines and was vomiting yellow bile, doctors were confused.
“We’re not kidding when we say life can change in the blink of an eye, because that’s what happened to us,” Richard’s grieving daughter Amelia Pawlski, 18, told the Post.
Amelia said Richard died at 2.30am on Monday, a week after being admitted to hospice, but doctors decided there was “not much else” they could do for him.
What is Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE)?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), eastern equine encephalitis is caused by a virus that is spread to people through the bites of infected mosquitoes. It is a rare but serious disease. Approximately 30% of people who develop severe eastern equine encephalitis die, and many survivors have neurological problems. Symptoms of eastern equine encephalitis include fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, behavioral changes, and drowsiness.
There is no vaccine or treatment to prevent eastern equine encephalitis. People living in areas where Eastern equine encephalitis virus is endemic should protect themselves by avoiding mosquito bites.
