1st Encephalitis Case Since ’86 Confirmed
A Lancaster man contracted the first confirmed case of St. Louis encephalitis in Los Angeles County since 1986, county health officials said Wednesday.
The 65-year-old man, who was not identified, was hospitalized in August but has been released. He told county Department of Health Services officials that he had not traveled beyond his immediate neighborhood before he was infected.
St. Louis encephalitis has also been confirmed in mosquitoes during routine monitoring near the California Country Club in the City of Industry and at Rose Hills Memorial Park cemetery in Whittier, health officials said.
“Mosquito warning” signs have been posted in those areas, and health officers are advising the public to avoid exposure to mosquitoes, which transmit the virus to humans.
St. Louis encephalitis can cause inflammation of the brain and spinal cord.
Most cases in humans are relatively mild, with symptoms of headaches and fever. Cases can be more severe, however, with symptoms including confusion, paralysis, coma and even death, officials said.
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