Brote de encefalomielitis equina en la República de Panamá / Equine encephalomyelitis en the Republic of Panama

ABSTRACT

An outbreak of encephalitis occurred in the equine population in the Republic of Panama in 1962 during the months of July through Novembers, or the peak of the rainy season, when many pastures are flooded. This is the same time of the year in which the large outbreak of 1946 occurred. The 1962 outbreak extended from the Canal Zone area westward, following the coast of the Gulf of Panama and the Gulf of Parita. The highest incidence was in the lowlands of the Gulf of Parita. The 1946 outbreak occurred in the same geographic area. The virus of Eastern encephalitis was isolated from the equine brains on three occasions, and there is also a small amount of serologic evidence to support the identification of the etiologic agent. Histologic findings in the brains examined further support the virologic and serologic findings. The concomitant occurrence of cases of Venezuelan encephalitis in the human population in the same geographic area was discovered by workers of the Middle America Research Unit. The virus of VEE was not isolated from equines during the outbreak. An estimated 200 equines died during the outbreak, and very few recovered cases were encountered