LaCrosse Encephalitis is an encephalitis caused by an arbovirus (the LaCrosse virus) which has a mosquito vector (Aedes triseriatus). It occurs in the Appalachian regions of the United States, and it was named after the place where it was first described in 1963, LaCrosse, Wisconsin.

Other diseases that are spread by mosquitoes include: Western and Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Japanese Encephalitis, St. Louis Encephalitis and West Nile Virus.

Symptoms

Symptoms include nausea, headache, vomiting in milder cases and seizures, coma, paralysis and permanent brain damage in severe cases.

Like with many infections, the very young, the very old and the immunocompromised are at a higher risk of developing severe symptoms.

Treatment

Currently, because it is caused by a virus, there is no specific cure for it and the management is limited to alleviating the symptoms and balancing fluids and electrolyte levels.

External links

• US Army fact sheet