Fourth human case of EEE in Massachusetts diagnosed – WCVB Boston

A woman from Plymouth County is the fourth person to be diagnosed with Eastern equine encephalitis in Massachusetts this year, the Department of Public Health announced Friday. EEE is a rare, but potentially deadly infection that is transmitted by mosquitoes. The newest case involves a woman in her 60s. As a result of her diagnosis, DPH officials said the EEE risk level in Plymouth was raised to high. As of Friday, DPH officials said there are now four municipalities at critical risk, 10 at high risk, and 18 at moderate risk for EEE.While mosquito populations are declining, health officials said most EEE transmission to people historically occurs before mid-September, the risk will continue until there is a hard frost. DPH urges residents to use mosquito repellent while outside and those in high-risk communities should schedule their outdoor activity to avoid the dusk to dawn hours to reduce exposure to the mosquitoes.”EEE virus has been found in 65 mosquito samples this year, over 70 percent of them in species of mosquitoes capable of spreading the virus to people,” officials wrote in an update Friday. 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 2019, there were 12 human cases of EEE in Massachusetts with 6 deaths.