As if COVID-19 wasn't scary enough, another deadly virus is brewing, this one in the Northeast, according to a new report.
Eastern Equine Encephalitis, or EEE, cases are expect to rise as hot and humid weather spreads across parts of the country. The virus is borne by mosquitoes and transferred to humans through bites.
In a story posted Wednesday on OneZero, the disease is expected to grow as climate change raises temperatures and wet conditions.
“These conditions are predicted to both persist and become more extreme in the Northeast over the coming decades,” wrote Australian researcher Oscar Schwartz.
In 2019, there were 38 confirmed cases in the United States and 15 deaths, mostly in the Northeast, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since 2010, the highest number recorded was in 2012, with cases and five deaths.
There is no vaccine or treatment for the virus, and transmission is rare, the report said. But infection is about 400 times deadlier than the flu. Those who contract EEE die approximately 40% of the time.
Symptoms range from mild flu afflictions to near incapacitation, the report said. Sufferers can be left with several neurological disorders.
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