Mosquito Bite Likely Caused Death of 8-Year-old Child from N.C.
An 8-year-old girl from North Carolina died last week after she was bitten by a mosquito that was probably carrying the LaCrosse virus, reports ABC News.
Lab results were pending to confirm whether the brain inflammation that caused the girl’s death was caused by the virus. The girl was hospitalized in Asheville, west North Carolina.
"North Carolina is one of the areas where LaCrosse virus is endemic, so having them report cases is not uncommon", medical epidemiologist J.Erin Staples from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention said.
The death of a child is rare. According to the CDC, less than 1% of La Crosse virus cases are fatal.
About 22 confirmed and probable LaCrosse illnesses were reported to the CDC as of August 30, according to ABC News.
The La Crosse encephalitis virus (LACV) is transmitted to humans through infected mosquitoes. Most cases of LACV disease occur in the upper Midwestern and mid-Atlantic and southeastern states.