Residents in Massachusetts are on high alert as West Nile virus cases rise. However, that's not the only concern.
A New Hampshire man is dead after contracting eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE. It's the first death from the mosquito-borne illness in a decade.
WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE
 |
Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. |
Steven Perry, 41, was the first human to contract EEE in New Hampshire in 10 years.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published guidance, alerting the public that while the disease is rare, about 30% of the people who get infected die.
Get updates on what's happening in Boston to your inbox. Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter.
Click here for a details map of the risk of mosquito-borne illnesses in New Hampshire, by town.
Click here or check out the maps below to see town-by-town EEE and West Nile Virus risks:
The CDC also added it's a unique disease, with no treatment, which is why doctors stress prevention. Everything from wearing long clothes that cover your body from mosquitos to being aware of when you're more likely to encounter them.
"They love dusk to dawn. That is when mosquitos are most active," said Michelle Bratti, commissioner for Health and Human Services
EEE is one half of the mosquito-related rise in concern in Massachusetts.
Health officials confirmed the first case of the West Nile virus this season was a man in his 60s who is recovering.
But that led to the state's Department of Public Health elevating the risk level to "high" in several communities, including Boston, Everett and Medford.
Other municipal counties, like Worcester, are already spraying chemicals to combat the spread of these viruses.
