A case of another locally acquired, rare mosquito-borne infection — St. Louis encephalitis — was confirmed Nov. 9 by health officials in Long Beach, Calif.
The confirmation of the locally acquired case comes nine days after the city confirmed its first locally-acquired case of dengue, Nov. 1, which is also transferred to humans via mosquito bite.
St. Louis encephalitis belongs to the same family as West Nile Virus, but is not commonly found in California, according to Long Beach health officials. This year, 12 cases of St. Louis encephalitis have been reported in the state, according to the press release.
"The first confirmation of [St. Louis encephalitis] in Long Beach should serve as a reminder that we need to protect ourselves against mosquitoes," Anissa Davis, MD, a city health officer for Long Beach stated in the release. "The health department encourages everyone to continue reporting issues regarding mosquito control in their area."
The person who acquired the illness in Long Beach was hospitalized, but has since been discharged to recover at home. There are no other suspected cases at this time and the risk to the overall public remains low, according to officials.