For Release: IMMEDIATE
Date: July 19, 2006

N.C. Records First Case of La Crosse Encephalitis

La Crosse is the Most Common Mosquito-Borne Illness in the State

RALEIGH – North Carolina public health officials today announced the season’s first case of La Crosse (LAC) encephalitis. The patient – a 9-year-old girl from Buncombe County – is recovering.

“ La Crosse is the most common mosquito-borne illness in North Carolina,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Jeffrey Engel. “You can protect you and your family from this and other mosquito-borne diseases by using repellants and reducing mosquito breeding grounds.”

La Crosse symptoms occur from a few days to a couple of weeks after being bitten by an infected mosquito. These symptoms include fever, headache, nausea and vomiting. In more severe cases, convulsions, tremors and coma can occur.

La Crosse is confined to western North Carolina. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), North Carolina accounted for 46 percent the nation’s LAC cases in 2005. Six Transylvania County school children were infected with LAC last year – an outbreak that was jointly investigated by North Carolina public health and the CDC. The disease is rarely fatal, but a Transylvania County girl died as a result of infection in 2001.Children under 16 years of age and the elderly are the most susceptible to the disease.

Here’s what you can do to make your home less mosquito-friendly:

• Remove any containers that can hold water;
• Keep gutters clean and in good repair;
• Repair leaky outdoor faucets and change the water in bird baths and pet bowls at least twice a week; and
• Check window and door screens.

The same goes for mosquito-proofing places like church playgrounds and ball fields. Work with other parents to ensure that those places aren’t providing mosquitoes with a happy habitat.

You can also protect your family from mosquito bites by using mosquito repellants. The CDC recommends several repellants against mosquitoes – DEET, picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus. According to the CDC, oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under three years old. Consumers should look for products that contain the CDC-recommended ingredients and follow all label instructions. You can also fight the bite by reducing time spent outdoors, particularly in early morning and early evening hours when mosquitoes are most active and wearing light-colored long pants and long-sleeved shirts.

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