Ottawa resident who tested positive for mosquito-borne virus dies, public health says – CTV
Sept. 12, 2024
The City of Ottawa is reporting the first human case of the mosquito-borne virus eastern equine encephalitis (EEEV).
Ottawa Public Health (OPH) says a resident who died of a viral encephalitis in August tested positive for an eastern equine encephalitis virus infection.
The health unit says like West Nile Virus, EEEV “normally cycles between wild birds and mosquitoes but can occasionally spread to horses and, rarely, to humans through an infected mosquito’s bite.”
“Humans do not get infected with EEEV from a horse or another human.”
There is no vaccine for humans against EEEV.
In August, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness said EEEV had been confirmed in a horse in the Ottawa area.
“A 15-year-old Thoroughbred gelding was ataxic when brought in from the field, was dull and would hang his head down in the corner of the stall. He became recumbent overnight and developed nystagmus in the morning,” the ministry said.
