COLUMBIA -- State public health officials say the deaths a child from Bamberg County and of an elderly Lexington County resident most likely were caused by Eastern Equine Encephalitis.

Health officials urged South Carolinians to protect themselves from mosquito bites that could transmit the virus, the state Department of Health and Environmental Control reported Thursday.

"Our thoughts are with the families of the victims and for all of our citizens since there is no human vaccine and no cure for this potentially dangerous disease," said Dr. Jerry Gibson, chief of DHEC's Bureau of Disease Control.

Blood tests listed the presence of the EEE virus as highly probable, Gibson said.

No other information about the patients will be released to protect their privacy, Thom Berry, DHEC spokesman, said.

"While it is rare in humans, EEE can be very serious since 50 to 70 percent of people who contract EEE die from the disease," Gibson said.

The two cases are South Carolina's first human cases of EEE this year. The last human case of EEE in South Carolina was in October 2000 in Charleston County.

In 1997, there were two cases, both in Charleston County. There was one case in 1996 in a resident of Horry County. The last death from EEE in South Carolina was in Aiken County in 1990.

Gibson said the virus is transmitted to people by certain species of mosquitoes that have fed on infected birds.

Eastern Equine Encephalitis can result in symptoms including a rapid onset of fever and headache or flu-like symptoms. While there is no cure for the sometimes-fatal viral illness, treatment includes efforts and medications to relieve the symptoms. Young children and adults over 55 appear to be most at risk.

"Protection against mosquito bites is the best approach to prevent EEE and the West Nile virus," Gibson said. "Try to avoid outdoor activities around dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active. Using an insect repellent containing 30 percent DEET along with wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants can help reduce the chances of being bitten by a mosquito."

Property owners can be proactive in reducing the mosquito population.

"Be sure to look around your home and property and empty any standing water from containers such as flower pots, tires, birdbaths and gutters," Gibson said. "Screens on doors and windows should be used to keep mosquitoes from getting into your home."

Additional information about EEE can be found on DHEC's Web site at http://www.scdhec.gov/EEE

For information on EEE in horses, owners and veterinarians can contact Clemson University's Livestock Poultry Health Laboratory at 803-788-2260.

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