Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis

Venezuelan equine encephalitis is caused by a mosquito-borne virus that can infect horses, donkeys, zebras and humans. Infected animals may die suddenly or develop progressive nervous system disease, while healthy adult humans typically experience flu-like illness with high fever and headache, though the very young, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems can become severely ill or die. The virus spreads mainly through Culex mosquitoes that bite infected animals and then bite other animals or people, and epidemic strains that spread rapidly through equine populations can also affect human health, while other strains stay confined to a rodent-mosquito cycle in specific areas.