St. Louis Encephalitis is a mosquito-borne viral disease that causes inflammation of the brain. Many infections with SLE are inapparent but when symptoms occur they can range from fever with headache to coma. While the virus can affect anyone, it has it's greatest impact on the very young and the very old because their immune systems are either in a state of development or decline. There is no vaccine because the virus occurs in humans so infrequently.
Prevention is the key.
The best way to avoid infection is to avoid getting mosquito bites. Eliminate stagnant water in bird baths, lily ponds and any receptacles in which mosquitoes might breed. Florida's largest epidemic of SLE occurred in 1990, with 223 cases and 11 fatalities in central and southern areas of the state. Mosquito Control Districts located throughout the state continually monitor the distribution and density of mosquito populations known to carry the SLE virus. In many areas, these agencies and County Health Departments also keep chicken flocks and monitor these chickens for evidence of exposure to SLE virus.