Photo: Jim Mckay/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) confirmed Monday a fourth human case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in the state.
According to DPH, a man in his 50s was exposed in Middlesex County that is at high risk for EEE. This is the second human case in the county. No information about the status of the patient was provided.
Previously, Worcester and Plymouth County each confirmed a human case. DPH also confirmed that all three counties are at critical risk for this mosquito infection.
Health officials urge people to take precautions, including applying insect repellent, avoid peak mosquito hours, and wear clothing to cover exposed skin.
Over the last month, communities and school officials had implemented precautionary measures against EEE. Schools in Middleboro, Plymouth, and Carver all decided within the last two weeks to reschedule their Friday Night Lights football games to earlier in the day and avoid mosquito hours in the evening. At the same time, officials in Plymouth and Worcester sprayed repellents in neighborhoods and closed parks from dusk to dawn.
Read More: Second Human Case Of Triple E Confirmed In Mass.
In New Hampshire, a 41-year-old man died in August after being infected with EEE, the first fatality in a decade.
The last EEE outbreak in Massachusetts was in 2019, there were 17 human cases and seven deaths.
Additionally, West Nile virus was also detected in Massachusetts. Both are illnesses carried by mosquitos and transferred to humans through mosquito bites.
WBZ NewsRadio's Jim MacKay (@JimMacKayOnAir) reports
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