BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has announced the fourth human case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus infection in the state this season.
The individual is a female in her 60s who was exposed to EEE in Plymouth County. As a result, the EEE risk level in Plymouth in Plymouth County has been raised to high.
Across the Commonwealth, the DPH said there are now four municipalities at critical risk, 10 at high risk, and 18 at moderate risk for EEE.
EEE is a rare but potentially fatal disease that can affect people of all ages. There have been three other human cases identified this year. In 2019, there were 12 human cases of EEE in Massachusetts with 6 deaths.
EEE virus has been found in 65 mosquito samples this year, over 70 percent of them in species of mosquitoes capable of spreading the virus to people.
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