Campus Responds to Triple E Outbreak

By LOGAN BECKERLE, ERIN HAN, SARAH HAO, JUNE KOH, V MURDAYA, and ARJUN VELAN

    Well into the first full week of academic classes, on Sept. 12, Dean of Students Ashley Taylor sent out an email announcement advising the Academy community to take precautions for the mosquito-borne viral illness EEE (Eastern Equine Encephalitis). This announcement of the disease, colloquially referred to as “Triple E,” came as a surprise to many and some misconceptions about its transmission and severity may have since surfaced. So far, no cases have been reported in Exeter, and the national case count remains at its typical annual number of about ten cases.

    The Triple E virus is a rare though serious infection that can develop through a mosquito-borne virus. It inhabits a reservoir, in this case, birds, which provides a host for the virus. This illness was first discovered over 100 years ago in horses and has continued annually. On average, there are about 9 to 11 cases of Triple E in the U.S. every year. This virus mostly occurs in the northeastern area of the U.S. Though it is taken seriously because of its possible severity, cases are extremely rare. Symptoms of Triple E include fever, muscle aches, and nausea.

    “I think the important piece is this is no more a concern this year than it is every year, ” said Medical Director Derek Trapasso. As Trapasso stated, this year’s risk levels are not a major concern. However, the Academy is taking extra precautions, erring on the side of caution due to a recent case of Triple E in the neighboring town of Kensington, NH.

    In response to the report of a case in Kensington, both the Town of Exeter and the Academy have taken proactive measures to mitigate risks. “The Academy has already taken several precautions out of an abundance of caution,” Taylor stated in her email. “These precautions [have included] spraying our campus, providing bug spray in all dorms and bug wipes in the dining tent, and encouraging all community members to wear long sleeves, pants, and closed-toe shoes/socks.”

    Additionally, the Town of Exeter has conducted routine surveillance testing, primarily on the mosquitos and horses in the area. “One of the things that New Hampshire does is they test humans, mosquitoes, and animals— particularly horses— to identify this virus,” explained Trappaso. “The good news is that there’ve been no identified mosquitoes with the virus, no horses with the virus, and no human cases in the town as well. Because we were placed in a higher-risk level was why we made this announcement and are taking all of the precautions you’re seeing, but fortunately, nothing has happened in town.”

    However, for some students, Taylor’s announcement was not the first time they were hearing about the virus, thus intensifying some pre-existing anxieties. “I first heard about Triple E from my family, and it was very concerning,” shared senior Catherine Yan. “After hearing about it, some precautions I took were wearing long sleeves, putting on bug repellent, and spending less time outdoors, especially at night.”

    Upper Asha Masoudi shared that she had taken similar measures. “At the start of the year I would wear bug spray every day, but at this point, it’s become less of a concern to me, so I don’t really feel the need to wear it anymore. I’ve mainly just been wearing long sleeves when I can and avoiding times of day when mosquitos are particularly active.”

    Masoudi also echoed Yan’s concern, “Hearing about Triple E on campus has definitely been stressful, especially with how high the fatality rate is.”

    Many student-athletes spend a significant portion of their time outdoors where they are more prone to mosquito bites and hence follow similar precautions to prevent getting bitten. Upper Nicolas Fernandez, a football player, shared, “I wear [long] sleeves, and wear a visor, which helps prevent me from getting bitten by mosquitos.”

    However, Trapasso made sure to pacify some of these concerns and emphasized that “the important piece is that this is no more a concern this year than it is every year.”

    Given that the disease is spread to humans exclusively through the bite of an infected mosquito, as we ease into the thick of fall, the colder weather will significantly reduce the risk of infection. Coupled with proactive precautions, this combination lays a strong foundation for safety. “We’re considered at risk until there are at least one or two hard frosts,” specified Trapasso. “A hard frost is what kills mosquitoes and their eggs, and if you pay attention to the normal weather patterns, that’s predicted for around mid-November-ish. As it gets colder in the evenings, mosquitoes have less energy — they fly shorter distances, they bite fewer people.” Trapasso concluded, “So while we’re not wishing for it to be cold, the colder it gets, the better it is as far as mosquito bites.”