Eastern equine encephalitis, a rare but potentially life-threatening viral disease spread by mosquitoes, has communities in Massachusetts on high alert after public health officials confirmed the first human case in the state in four years. Ten communities in Massachusetts are now considered critical or high risk for the virus, also known as triple E or EEE, the . Officials are spraying mosquito pesticides by plane and truck in these areas to control eastern equine encephalitis.
Several towns have announced nighttime park closures and voluntary curfews to limit exposure from dusk to dawn, when mosquitoes are most active. The patient, a man in his 80s, was exposed to the virus in the city of Worcester, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health . Eastern equine encephalitis is spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito, according to .
Infection can cause inflammation and swelling of the brain. About 30% of those infected will die, and survivors often suffer from lasting neurological problems, per the CDC. The news of the Massachusetts case comes as another virus spread by the blood-sucking insects, West Nile, circulates in the U.
S. In early August, a woman in Dallas, Texas, died after contracting . Just this week, it was revealed that Dr.
Anthony Fauci, the former chief medical advisor to Joe Biden, was hospitalized with a case of West Nile virus. “We’re at a critical time of the year for mosquito-borne illnesses of all kinds, including triple E, which ha.