Massachusetts records first human case of Eastern equine encephalomyelitis since 2020

A human case of Eastern equine encephalomyelitis has been identified in Massachusetts for the first time since 2020. Now the state health department is sounding the alarm in several communities to protect against the potentially deadly virus.

Last week, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health said a man in his 80s in Worcester County had been exposed to the mosquito-borne virus, the first human infection in the state in four years.

The discovery raised the risk levels in the towns of Douglas, Oxford, Sutton and Webster to critical. In Dudley, Northbridge and Uxbridge the risk was raised to high. The neighboring communities of Auburn, Charlton, Grafton, Leicester, Mendon, Millbury, Millville, Southbridge and Upton are considered to be at moderate risk.

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EEE is a rare but dangerous virus that is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. According to Massachusetts health officials, an infected person may experience symptoms such as high fever, headache, stiff neck, vomiting, seizures, behavioral changes and fatigue within five to 10 days of the bite.

Although there are only a few cases in the United States each year, most of them in the eastern states or on the Gulf Coast, about 30 percent of those infected die, according to the CDC, and many survivors have persistent neurological problems.

In Massachusetts, however, about half of those infected with EEE die, according to state data, and few recover fully without disability.

The virus was first discovered in the state in 1938. Since then, there have been just over 115 cases in outbreaks that have occurred every 10 to 20 years and lasted two to three years, the state said.

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The most recent outbreak began in 2019, with 12 cases resulting in six deaths. In 2020, the last year the state experienced waste electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) outbreaks, there were five more cases, one of which was fatal.

Because there are no vaccines to prevent or medications to treat EEE, preventing mosquito bites is the best way to reduce your risk of infection, according to the CDC and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Preventative measures include using an insect repellent with an EPA-approved ingredient such as DEET when you go outdoors, avoiding peak mosquito seasons between dusk and dawn, wearing protective clothing and mosquito-proofing your home. This means fixing any window screens and draining standing water where mosquitoes lay their eggs.