A fourth human case of EEE has been confirmed in Massachusetts, officials said Monday.
A man in his 50s has been diagnosed with Eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, after being exposed in Middlesex County, the Department of Public Health said in a release Monday.
The case is the fourth in the state this year and the second in Middlesex County.
One case was confirmed in Plymouth County, and another was detected in Worcester County.
The last EEE outbreak in the state was in 2019-2020, when seven people in Massachusetts died from the mosquito-borne virus.
Here’s what to know about the areas at risk and how to stay safe.
EEE critical and high risk areas in MA Following the state’s announcement of a fourth case of EEE in Massachusetts, officials did not change risk levels of the virus across the state.
Here’s which areas should still be on high alert: Critical risk areas for EEE Worcester County Douglas Oxford Sutton Webster High risk areas for EEE Middlesex County Acton Ayer Boxborough Carlisle Littleton Plymouth County Carver Middleboro Plymouth Worcester County Dudley Harvard Northbridge Uxbridge What is EEE?
EEE is not contagious because humans are dead-end hosts, which means they don’t spread the virus to mosquitoes that bite them, according to the CDC.
How to stay safe from EEE Taking precautions against mosquito bites is the best way to protect against and EEE, officials said.
Officials in Massachusetts announced on Monday that a fourth human case of EEE had been confirmed.
According to a release from the Department of Public Health on Monday, a man in his 50s has been diagnosed with Eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, following his exposure in Middlesex County.
This year’s case is the second in Middlesex County and the fourth in the state. In Plymouth County, one case was verified, and in Worcester County, another was found.
Seven Massachusetts residents lost their lives to the mosquito-borne virus during the state’s most recent EEE outbreak in 2019–2020.
Here are some tips for staying safe and information about the risky areas.
MA’s EEE high-risk and critical areas.
State officials did not alter the virus’s risk levels throughout the state after disclosing the existence of a fourth EEE case in Massachusetts. The following areas still require a high level of caution:.
Important areas of risk for EEE.
County of Worcester.
Douglas.
Oxford.
Butt.
Webster.
areas with a high risk of EEE.
Sussex County.
Acton. .
Ayer.
Boxborough.
Carlsbad.
Miniton.
County of Plymouth.
Shaver.
Middleboro.
Plymouth.
County of Worcester.
Dudley.
Harvard University.
In Northbridge.
Uxbridge.
Describe EEE.
A rare but dangerous disease carried by mosquitoes is eastern equine encephalitis. When a human is bitten by an infected mosquito, they contract the virus.
The CDC claims that because humans are dead-end hosts—that is, they do not transmit the virus to mosquitoes that bite them—EEE is not communicable.
Fever, headache, diarrhoea, vomiting, seizures, altered behavior, and sleepiness are some of the symptoms. As per the CDC, approximately thirty percent of EEE infections result in death.
How to protect yourself from EEE.
The best defense against EEE is to take preventative measures against mosquito bites, according to officials.
Some safety measures are as follows:.
