Health officials are raising the alarm after at least one person died of the mosquito-borne eastern equine encephalitis virus last week.
The illness has been tearing through the Northeast forcing high alerts in 10 counties in Massachusetts where an 80-year-old man tested positive for the rare disease.
Then, new cases started appearing in neighboring Vermont, and New Hampshire where a single confirmed fatality was reported.
The New Hampshire State Health Department said the adult had been hospitalized after suffering severe central nervous system problems.
Although EEE infections are considered rare, a third of them are fatal according to the CDC.
“We believe there is an elevated risk for EEEV infections this year in New England given the positive mosquito samples identified,” said state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan.
“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.”
