New Hampshire resident dies from untreatable mosquito-borne encephalitis as dangerous virus spreads

A New Hampshire resident has died after testing positive for the mosquito-borne infection eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEE), according to health authorities.

The resident, who has only been identified as an adult, had been hospitalized due to severe central nervous system symptoms, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday. The infection marked the first in the state in a decade.

The last known EEE infection in New Hampshire was in 2014. Three people were infected by the mosquito-borne virus that year and two of them died.

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This summer, human cases of EEE were also found in Massachusetts and Vermont. A man in his 40s from Chittenden County was hospitalized on July 16 with the virus, the Vermont Department of Health announced earlier this month.

He was released from hospital a week later. It was Vermont's first EEE case in a human since 2012. “Unfortunately, we now have additional evidence that EEE virus is in mosquitoes that can infect humans, with the potential to cause serious illness,” said Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD. “Please take mosquito prevention seriously as we continue monitoring this risk.”

Massachusetts state health officials confirmed on August 16 that a man in his 80s had been infected, marking the first human infection in the state since 2020. A 2020 outbreak saw 17 people infected and left seven dead. The latest case has seen 10 Massachusetts counties placed on high alert.

State health officials warned four towns - Oxford, Douglas, Sutton, and Webster - are at critical risk. State and local health officials urged people in those towns to avoid the peak mosquito biting times by finishing outdoor activities by 6 p.m. until Sept. 30 and then by 5 p.m. after that, until the first hard frost.

They also recommend that people across Massachusetts use mosquito repellents when outdoors and drain any standing water around their homes. Meanwhile, the nearby town of Plymouth announced that it is closing public parks and fields from dusk until dawn every day after a horse in the town contracted the virus.

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EEE is a virus spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. Although rare, it is very serious. Approximately 30% of people with eastern equine encephalitis die, and many survivors suffer from ongoing neurologic problems, according to the CDC.

Symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, behavioral changes, and drowsiness. There are currently no vaccines to prevent or medicine to treat the virus.