What To Know About EEE—As New York Resident Dies From Mosquito-Borne Virus

Topline

The rare and deadly mosquito-borne illness known as Eastern equine encephalitis was identified in New York for the first time in over a decade last week and the person who contracted it has since died from the virus, the state’s governor announced Monday, making them the second person to die from the infection this season.

EEE cases have been identified in Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire. (Photo by Jon … [+] Cherry/Getty Images)

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Key Facts

The New York governor’s office reported the person has died from the state’s first case of EEE since 2015, and the state health commissioner is continuing to warn of an “imminent threat to pubic health” through Nov. 30.

The New York death comes one month after a healthy 41-year-old New Hampshire resident died of EEE after becoming the state’s first recorded case of the severe central nervous system disease since 2014.

Other cases of EEE have been reported in Vermont, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Massachusetts and New Jersey since August, including an 80-year-old Massachusetts resident who was hospitalized with the virus.

EEE is a rare but serious illness that kills approximately 30% of the people who contract it and can cause fever, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, behavioral changes and drowsiness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which notes survivors are prone to neurologic problems.

Freshwater hardwood swamps in Atlantic states, the Gulf Coast and the Great Lakes region are where EEE is most common, with outdoor recreational workers at increased risk of infection and people above the age of 50 and under the age of 15 at the greatest of developing a severe case.

There are no vaccines or medicines for the treatment of EEE, which is typically reported in an average of 11 Americans each year, according to the CDC, though only about four to five percent of human EEE virus infections result in eastern equine encephalitis.

State officials say parts of New Hampshire and Massachusetts face mosquito-borne illness risks, with seven Massachusetts communities—mostly small towns—at high or critical risk of EEE.

EEE has prompted officials in Massachusetts to encourage residents of some towns to stay indoors while mosquitoes are most active (dusk to dawn), forced parks and fields to close during the evening in Plymouth County and spray for mosquitoes in areas of Plymouth and Worcester County.

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What Other Mosquito-Borne Illnesses Are On The Rise?

The small but notable rise in EEE cases coincides with an uptick in cases of the West Nile virus, which has been reported in 659 people in the U.S. so far this year, according to the CDC, with the highest number of cases coming from Texas (59). West Nile virus symptoms include body aches, fever, rash and diarrhea. However, the virus is less lethal than EEE, as most people who contract it make full recoveries, with about 1 in 150 people developing serious symptoms. It is also believed infection from the disease can generate lifelong immunity, according to the CDC.

Surprising Fact

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is recovering from the West Nile virus after being hospitalized by the illness for six days. He is expected to make a full recovery.

Key Background

Climate change is a large driver behind the increase in length of mosquito season in several states, as warmer temperatures make environments more suitable for mosquito development. Vermont, Maine, New Jersey and New Hampshire are some of the states where mosquito-suitable days have increased by just more than two weeks, according to The Washington Post. The CDC has increasingly urged people to take preventive measures against mosquitoes, as some of the illnesses that come from them, such as EEE and West Nile virus, do not have vaccines or treatments. People are encouraged to wear loose-fitting, long-sleeve shirts and pants, and use mosquito repellent to prevent bites, among other measures.