By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

The Erie County Department of Health has reported two cases of rare encephalitis cases in October, according to a Go Erie report.

Image/David Benbennick

Communicable diseases supervisor for the health department, Sue Carlson, R.N. says the two cases weren’t related. “We know one of them recovered and we don’t know the outcome of the other person.”

According to Encephalitis411, Encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain, can happen to anyone, any time, anywhere, at any age, killing roughly 20% of its victims. Encephalitis effects about 20,000 Americans annually.

This can be caused by a variety of pathogens to include herpes virus, varicella zoster and mosquitoborne viruses like West Nile virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis, among others.

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Carlson notes that these were not the causes in the two cases.

According to health officials, this is the first time in 22 years that two cases were reported in one month in Erie County and the first case in 1 1/2 years.

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