Another person in Massachusetts has contracted the rare and potentially deadly mosquito-borne virus eastern equine encephalitis, health officials said Monday, bringing this summer's total to four.
The newest case was a man in his 50s who was exposed to the virus, also known as EEE, in a part of Middlesex County already at high risk for transmission, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. They didn't specify where, but said there were no changes to any communities' risk levels with the announcement of the fourth case.
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EEE can cause flu-like symptoms as well as severe neurological disease, like inflammation in the brain (encephalitis) or around the spinal cord (meningitis) that can lead to life-long disability or death. A man in New Hampshire man died after contracting the virus last month.
No EEE-related deaths have been announced in Massachusetts this year. See the current risk maps for EEE and West Nile virus here.
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State Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein noted the concern over EEE that this season's cases have been generating in a statement Monday.
"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," he said.
The last EEE outbreak in Massachusetts left seven people dead among 17 infected between 2019 and 2020, according to health officials.
