TODAY – A 54-year-old father in New Hampshire is fighting for his life in the hospital after contracting three different mosquito-borne viruses: eastern equine encephalitis or “EEE,” West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis.
Joe Casey of Kensington, New Hampshire, has been hospitalized for several weeks with a severe illness affecting his brain and nervous system, while doctors try to determine which virus is causing his debilitating symptoms.
“Joe first became sick on August 8, 2024. He was brought to Exeter NH hospital emergency room, as he was disoriented and had a fever,” Casey’s sister-in-law, Angela Barker, tells TODAY.com via email.
The father of four’s conditioned worsened at the hospital, and he soon wound up in the intensive care unit unable to move or speak.
“He was in the ICU for over 3 weeks on a ventilator and then had a tracheostomy,” says Barker. MRIs revealed that Casey had swelling and fluid in his brain due to encephalitis, she adds.
Encephalitis is serious and potentially fatal condition where the brain becomes swollen due to inflammation. It is a possible complication of all three of the mosquito-borne viruses Casey contracted.
All three of these viruses are spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. Most people who become infected with these viruses do not develop symptoms. Those who do may experience a fever and flu-like illness, such as a headache, fatigue and joint pain.
Some people can develop severe neuroinvasive disease, which causes inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) or inflammation of the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord (meningitis).
Rarely, West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis can cause death — the mortality rate for EEE is higher, about 30% of people with EEE will die.
Those who do recover from severe neuroinvasive disease caused by these viruses can be left with long-term mental or physical disabilities …
