Several Disease Outbreaks Hit the United States
Outbreaks of several different bacterial and viral illnesses have been reported throughout the United States this summer.
Listeria Outbreak
A nationwide outbreak of the foodborne bacteria Listeria has already resulted in nine deaths and the hospitalization of 57 more people as of Wednesday, 28 August.
The outbreak has been linked to Boar’s Head deli meat, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The current outbreak is the largest of its kind in the United States since 2011.
Earlier in August, the CDC confirmed three deaths due to Listeria in Illinois, New Jersey, and Virginia. The six most recent linked deaths were from cases in Florida, New Mexico, New York, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Nonfatal cases have been reported in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.
The Maryland Department of Health detected the presence of the same strain of listeria last month in a sample of Boar’s Head liverwurst, according to The Washington Post.
The positive test result prompted the company pause operations at a facility in Virginia and announce a recall of all of its deli meat and cheese items that were produced there—recalling at least 7 million pounds of more than 70 different food products. The products were distributed to throughout the United States, as well as exported to the Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Panama.
The CDC is advising that the public avoid eating the recalled products and ones already purchased should be thrown out or returned for a refund from the store where it was purchased. “Look for ‘EST. 12612’ or ‘P-12612’ inside the USDA mark of inspection on the product labels,” the CDC said in its statement about the outbreak.
Eastern Equine Encephalitis
The New England region of the United States is currently dealing with a rare viral illness spread by mosquitoes—eastern equine encephalitis (EEEV).
Two nonfatal human cases of the virus were reported from Massachusetts and Vermont, as well as two other nonfatal cases further out in New Jersey and Wisconsin.
The CDC also announced that the virus resulted in one death in New Hampshire. The death is the fifth human fatality from the virus in the United States this year. The last reported human EEEV case in New Hampshire was in 2014, when there were a total of three documented infections, two of which resulted in fatalities, according to Reuters.
“In the United States, 11 human cases are reported on average each year,” Reuters reported. “Since the CDC began tracking cases nationwide in 2023, the number of human infections documented in a single year peaked in 2019 at 38.”
Of those infected, only 4 to 5 percent develop encephalitis—where the brain becomes inflamed and swells, resulting in headaches, stiff neck, sensitivity to light, confusion, and even seizures. Of that number, the virus kills a third, while others can suffer from lifelong physical and mental issues.
Because there is no vaccine or antiviral treatment for the virus, people living in areas where there have been reported cases are encouraged to limit their time outdoors, especially because mosquitoes are most active in August and September.
“The Massachusetts Public Health Department announced that insecticide sprays would begin this week,” NBC News reported. “…Several Massachusetts towns said they will close public parks from dusk until dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.” Voluntary curfews on outdoor activities were also announced in at least one Massachusetts towns.
“The virus is largely maintained in birds and transmitted from bird to bird by mosquitoes,” according to Scientific American. While transmission is sometimes limited to birds, some mosquitoes with a more varied diet can spread the virus to horses and humans.
Other steps can be taken to prevent mosquito bites, including using bug spray with DEET or picaridin, dressing in loose-fitting clothes that cover limbs, and emptying basins or containers outdoors that collect standing water, such as bird baths, dog bowls, and flower pots.
Oropouche Virus, a.k.a. Sloth Fever
The CDC has also reported an increase in cases involving the Oropouche virus. The increase comes from people traveling into the United States from Cuba, with more than 20 people testing positive for the virus in recent months.
The virus is usually localized to tropical forests, including the Amazon river basin. Between the beginning of 2024 and 1 August, there have been more than 8,000 reported cases all over the world, most of them in Brazil.
Earlier in August, “the Pan American Health Organization upgraded its risk level for Oropouche from moderate to high, citing the virus’s geographical spread and the occurrence of fatal cases, which are notable for a disease that has historically been known to cause mild to moderate symptoms,” according to Scientific American.
The virus is typically spread by midges, and there is no vaccine or treatment for the disease. The symptoms of the disease are similar to dengue, including fever, headaches, muscle or joint pain, vomiting, and nausea. While most cases are mild and are resolved after roughly eight days, in severe cases (5 percent of those infected) people can experience hemorrhagic events, including nosebleeds, bleeding gums, blood in stool, or a rash caused by bleeding. Other indications of a serious case can include meningitis or meningoencephalitis, which can result in symptoms like eye pain, dizziness, confusion, vomiting, and more.
The CDC issued an alert for clinicians and public health authorities, because infected people can in turn be bitten by midges, which can spread the disease further and lead to a local epidemic.
The disease is also called sloth fever because the virus was first identified in sloths.
West Nile Virus
A third mosquito-borne virus is currently making the rounds. Reported cases of the West Nile virus have come out of the Mid-Atlantic.
“Most infected humans are asymptomatic, but the virus can cause flu-like symptoms—especially for people over 60—long-term complications, and in rare instances, death,” Axios reported. Serious illnesses can develop in about one in 150 people infected with the virus, including encephalitis or meningitis. Roughly one in 10 people of those who develop a severe illness that affects the central nervous system die, according to the CDC.
One notable person infected by the illness this season is Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who was hospitalized for several days before allowing to recover in his home.
Other cases of human infections this year have been reported in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. The virus is the most frequent mosquito-transmitted illness in the United States.
The threat level for diseases transmitted by mosquitoes is notable because mosquito season has become longer, thanks to climate change.
