4th case of human EEE reported in Massachusetts

BOSTON, Mass. (WWLP)– A 50-year old man in Middlesex County has tested positive for Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), the fourth human case in the state this year.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) says there have been 91 EEE-positive mosquito samples in the state this year, mostly in Plymouth, Worcester, Bristol, Essex and Middlesex counties.

“This year’s EEE season has been particularly active and is generating a lot of concern in communities across Massachusetts,” said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD. “While EEE remains a rare disease, the risk level is elevated in multiple communities. With the weather forecast showing warm, sunny weather for the rest of the week, we recommend that people take necessary precautions in areas of elevated risk. This includes recommending that residents and towns in areas at high risk for EEE reschedule their evening outdoor events to avoid peak mosquito biting hours from dusk to dawn.”

The DPH reminds people that EEE is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito and to protect yourself by wearing long sleeves and pants and using an insect repellent when going outside, especially during dusk to dawn hours when the insects are more active.

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