a form of mosquito-borne equine encephalomyelitis seen in the eastern U.S. and caused by the eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus, a species of Alphavirus, which belongs to the family Togaviridae; initial fever and viremia are followed by signs of central nervous system involvement (excitement, then somnolence, paralysis, and death); the incidence of clinical infection in humans is low but case fatality may be high.
