New Hampshire reports death from EEE as five states see cases
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Key takeaways:
- Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Vermont and Wisconsin have reported cases of eastern equine encephalitis.
- The states announced plans to spray for mosquitoes and asked residents to take precautions.
New Hampshire on Tuesday announced that a person in the state who tested positive for eastern equine encephalitis virus has died after being hospitalized with severe central nervous system diseases.
Four other states have also reported cases of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) this year, according to state health departments and the CDC. Online, the CDC lists a total of four confirmed cases of the mosquito-borne disease this year: one each in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Vermont and Wisconsin.
“We believe there is an elevated risk for EEE infections this year in New England given the positive mosquito samples identified,” Benjamin Chan, MD, MPH, state epidemiologist in New Hampshire’s Department of Health and Human Services, said in a press release. “The risk will continue into the fall until there is a hard frost that kills the mosquitoes. Everybody should take steps to prevent mosquito bites when they are outdoors.”
Health officials in at least four of the states have urged residents to take steps to prevent mosquito bites, including by using mosquito repellents, wearing long sleeves and pants outdoors and avoiding time outside in the early morning and evening when the insects are most active.
Officials said areas where mosquitoes have tested positive for EEE will be sprayed with pesticide to reduce the number of mosquitoes carrying the virus.
In Massachusetts, health officials named 10 communities in Plymouth and Worcester counties that are at “high or critical risk” for EEE and announced plans to start aerial and truck-mounted spraying in 13 communities across the two counties. They have also asked residents in those areas to stay inside from dusk to dawn, if possible.
“This year’s outbreak and activity raise the risk for communities in parts of the state,” Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, said in a press release. “We are asking everyone to do their part.”
The case in Massachusetts involved an 80-year-old man and was the first EEE infection in the state since a 2019-2020 outbreak that included 17 cases and seven deaths.
The case in Vermont, in a man in his 40s who was hospitalized on July 16 and released about a week later, was the first case the state has seen since 2012, according to health officials. Like in other states, mosquitoes in Vermont have tested positive for EEE in the weeks since the human case was detected.
In New Hampshire, the last reported EEE infection was in 2014, when the state saw three infections and two deaths.
EEE is relatively rare but often serious. It is spread to humans by mosquitoes that have bitten infected birds. There are no human vaccines or treatments for the virus, although there is a vaccine for horses. Roughly 30% of people who acquire EEE die, whereas others experience ongoing neurological problems, according to the CDC.
“Please take mosquito prevention seriously as we continue to monitor this risk,” Vermont health commissioner Mark Levine, MD, said in a press release.
References:
- CDC. Eastern equine encephalitis virus: Current year data (2024). https://www.cdc.gov/eastern-equine-encephalitis/data-maps/current-year-data.html. Updated Aug. 27, 2024. Accessed Aug. 27, 2024.
- CDC. Transmission of eastern equine encephalitis virus. https://www.cdc.gov/eastern-equine-encephalitis/php/transmission/index.html. Updated May 15, 2024. Accessed Aug. 27, 2024.
- First human case of eastern equine encephalitis in Vermont detected since 2012. https://www.healthvermont.gov/media/current-news-releases/first-human-case-eastern-equine-encephalitis-vermont-detected-2012. Published Aug. 9, 2024. Accessed Aug. 27, 2024.
- NH DHHS identifies person infected with eastern equine encephalitis virus in New Hampshire. https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/news-and-media/nh-dhhs-identifies-person-infected-eastern-equine-encephalitis-virus-new-hampshire. Published Aug. 27, 2024. Accessed Aug. 27, 2024.
- State officials announce plans to spray for mosquitoes in sections of Worcester and Plymouth counties due to EEE. https://www.mass.gov/news/state-officials-announce-plans-to-spray-for-mosquitoes-in-sections-of-worcester-and-plymouth-counties-due-to-eee. Published Aug. 24, 2024. Accessed Aug. 27, 2024.
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