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Viral Equine Encephalitis   Printable version

Classification: Virus

Signs and Symptoms
  • Fever
  • Muscular pain
  • Headaches
  • Vomiting
  • Drowsiness
  • Chills
  • Sore throat
  • Diarrhea
Characteristics
  • Incubation period: 1 to 4 days
  • Can be fatal
  • Mildly contagious
  • Treatment available
Indicators
  • Focused response
  • Public health emergency
  • Verbal or written threats
  • Unusual number of sick or dying people or animals
  • Suspicious bombing incident with little blast or fire damage
  • Unscheduled or unusual spray being or having been disseminated
  • Abandoned spray or dispersion devices
  • Laboratory containers
  • Biohazard cultures or culture media labels
  • Unusual swarms of insects
  • Casualty distribution aligned with wind direction
Routes of Exposure
  • Inhalation
  • Approach from upwind, uphill or upstream
  • Isolate immediate area for at least 300 feet in all directions
  • Keep unauthorized persons away
  • Stay upwind
  • Make notifications
  • Decon with 5% bleach solution (if surface contamination is present)
  • Obtain immediate medicate treatment
Type of Harm
  • Etiological
Personal Protection
  • Time - keep exposure and product contact to a minimum
  • Distance - stay at least 300 feet away on upwind side until agent is identified
  • Shielding - chemical protective clothing
Contact
If you suspect the above agent, immediately contact (in the order presented):
  • Drs. Lucy DesJardin and Mike Pentella at the University Hygienic Laboratory. If they aren't readily available, ask for someone in the Bacteriology, Virology, Serology, or Molecular laboratory. 319.335.4500 or 1.800.421.IOWA(4692)
  • University Hygienic Laboratory Duty Officer 319.335.4500 or 319.530.5981
  • As a final resort, the following 24-hour emergency hotlines have been established:

    Iowa Public Health Emergency Terrorism/Disaster Notification Hotline 1.866.834.9671

    Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 Spill Hotline 913.281.0991

    CDC Hotline 404.639.2540 or 777.488.7100

    National Response Center (oil and chemical spills) 800.424.8802

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