Orange County, home to Disney World and a bevy of other tourist attractions, was one of 11 Florida counties to declare a health warning about St. Louis encephalitis, but with throngs of tourists in town to enjoy the waning days of summer, it quickly grabbed the most attention. Because there is no known cure for the disease (which can cause flulike symptoms, brain swelling, coma, even death), public-health officials weren’t taking any chances. They warned residents and visitors alike to stay indoors at night, wear long sleeves and slather on plenty of insect repellent. The spraying of insecticide was stepped up. Hospitals went on alert, watching out for walk-ins complaining of fevers or headaches–the first signs of more serious illness. Disney World quickly bowed to the recommendation of county health officials by closing golf courses, pools and three water parks before sundown.
Unlike the last outbreak of St. Louis encephalitis, which sent 226 Florida residents to the hospital and killed 11 in 1990, this year’s infections have so far been limited to the hard-working sentinels. But since the first detection occurred in mid-June, and human infections tend to follow three to six weeks later, ““the fact that there aren’t any human cases right now is really baffling,’’ says University of Florida medical entomologist Jonathan Day. In fact, scientists see a link between the outbreak seven years ago and today’s: the 1990 epidemic may have built up immunity in the many Floridians who contracted the disease without symptoms. State officials hope, though, that they are simply facing a less-virulent St. Louis strain. Other bug news: an encephalitis strain found recently on New York’s Long Island is potentially dangerous but, fortunately, has been found only in skeeters that don’t bite people. Indeed, most American mosquitoes are more pesky than pestilent. On her way home to Manchester, England, Orlando tourist Lesley Dowey didn’t seem too panicked–despite dozens of mosquito bites scabbing her legs. ““I went to see a pharmacist, and he said I had more of a reaction to the insecticides they use at Disney.''
