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Family identifies New England man who died battling EEE virus

A person has died of Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis in New Hampshire. It is the first human case of the virus in the state in a decade, health officials said Tuesday. The family confirmed the victim was 41-year-old Steven Scott Perry, a lifelong resident of Hampstead, New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Department of Health said the victim was hospitalized with severe central nervous system disease. “It is with a heavy heart that the family acknowledges that Steven left those he loved far too soon after being struck by a sudden and rare brain infection,” Perry's obituary said. He died Aug. 19 at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, the family said. The last human EEE infection in New Hampshire was in 2014, when health officials reported three human infections, including two deaths. In addition to the person with EEE, officials said the virus has been detected in one horse and seven groups of mosquitoes in New Hampshire so far this summer.Eastern equine encephalomyelitis is a rare but potentially fatal disease that can cause long-term physical and mental complications in survivors. There are no vaccines or treatments for EEE.“EEE can cause severe illness and potentially death in any age group; however, people under 15 and over 50 are particularly at risk,” said a statement from MassDPH. “EEE does not occur every year, but based on current evidence, there is a high risk of human cases occurring in 2024.”Earlier this month, an Oxford man was diagnosed with EEE.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that while EEE is rare, it is very serious, and about 30% of those infected die. Symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhea and seizures. Those who survive are often permanently disabled and few fully recover, Massachusetts authorities say. The disease is found primarily in birds, and although humans and some other mammals can contract EEE, they do not spread the disease. Few cases of EEE are reported in the U.S. each year, according to the CDC, with most infections occurring in the eastern states and the Gulf Coast. The family described Perry as a “devoted son, brother, uncle and friend who brought joy and laughter to all who knew him.” “Steven took great pride in his career as director of Hampstead Nursing Services, where he worked alongside his mother for many years,” his obituary said. Video: How to protect your family from EEE and West Nile virus. MassDPH safety tips for protecting yourself from mosquitoes: Avoid mosquito bites. Wear insect repellent when outdoors. Use a repellent with an EPA-registered ingredient such as DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), or lemon eucalyptus oil (p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD) or IR3535) according to the directions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and in older children at concentrations of 30% or less. Lemon eucalyptus oil should not be used on children under three years of age. Be aware of peak mosquito times. The hours between dusk and dawn are peak times for many mosquito bites. Consider postponing outdoor activities that fall in the evening or early morning in high-risk areas. Clothing can reduce mosquito bites. Wearing long sleeves, long pants, and socks outdoors will keep mosquitoes off your skin. Mosquito-proof your home. Drain standing water. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of mosquito breeding sites around your home by emptying or disposing of items that collect water. Check gutters and drains. Empty unused flower pots and wading pools, and change the water in birdbaths regularly.Install or repair screens. Keep mosquitoes out by installing tight-fitting screens on all windows and doors.Protect your animalsPet owners should reduce potential mosquito breeding sites on their property by removing standing water from containers such as buckets, tires, and wading pools—especially after heavy rains. Water troughs provide excellent mosquito breeding sites and should be flushed out at least once a week during the summer months to reduce mosquitoes near paddocks. Horse owners should keep their horses indoor stalls at night to reduce the risk of mosquito contamination. Owners should also talk to their veterinarian about mosquito repellents approved for use in animals and vaccinations to prevent West Nile virus and Eastern equine encephalomyelitis. If WNV or EEE is suspected in an animal, owners are required to report it to the Department of Agricultural Resources, Division of Animal Health, at 617-626-1795 and to the Department of Public Health at 617-983-6800.

HAMPSTEAD, NH —

A person has died from Eastern equine encephalomyelitis in New Hampshire, the first human case of the virus in the state in ten years, health officials said Tuesday.

The family confirmed that the victim was 41-year-old Steven Scott Perry, who lived his entire life in Hampstead, New Hampshire.

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services said the victim was hospitalized with severe central nervous system disease.

“It is with heavy hearts that the family acknowledges that Steven left those he loved far too soon after being struck down by a sudden and rare brain infection,” Perry's obituary said.

According to his family, he died on August 19 at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

The last human infection with EEE in New Hampshire occurred in 2014, when health officials reported three human infections, including two deaths. In addition to the person with EEE, the virus has been detected in one horse and seven mosquitoes in New Hampshire so far this summer, officials said.

Eastern equine encephalomyelitis is a rare but potentially fatal disease that can cause long-term physical and psychological complications in survivors. There are no vaccines or treatments for EEE.

“EEE can cause severe illness and potentially death in any age group, but people younger than 15 and older than 50 are particularly at risk,” said a statement from MassDPH. “EEE does not occur every year, but based on current evidence, there is a high risk of human cases occurring in 2024.”

A man from Oxford was diagnosed with EEE earlier this month.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that EEE is rare but very serious, and about 30% of those infected die from it. Symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, and seizures.

Survivors often suffer permanent disabilities and few make a full recovery, Massachusetts authorities say. The disease is most common in birds. Although humans and some other mammals can contract EEE, they do not spread the disease.

According to the CDC, only a few cases of electrical and electronic equipment are reported in the United States each year, with most infections occurring in the eastern states and the Gulf Coast.

His family described Perry as a “devoted son, brother, uncle and friend who brought joy and laughter to all who knew him.”

“Steven was very proud of his career as Director of Hampstead Nursing Services and worked alongside his mother for many years,” his obituary said.

Video: How to protect your family from electrical and electronic devices and the West Nile virus

Mosquito safety tips from MassDPH:

Avoid mosquito bites

Apply insect repellent outdoors. Use an insect repellent with an EPA-registered ingredient such as DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), or oil of lemon eucalyptus (p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD) or IR3535) according to the directions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and on older children at concentrations of 30% or less. Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under three years of age.

Be aware of peak mosquito times. The hours between dusk and dawn are the peak times for many mosquito bites. Consider postponing outdoor activities that fall in the evening or early morning in high-risk areas.

Clothing can reduce mosquito bites. Wearing long-sleeved clothing, long pants and socks outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.

Make your home mosquito-proof

Drain standing water. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of mosquito breeding sites around your home by draining or disposing of items that collect water. Check gutters and drains. Empty unused flower pots and wading pools, and change the water in birdbaths regularly.

Install or repair fly screens. Keep mosquitoes out by fitting tight-fitting fly screens on all windows and doors.

Protect your animals

Animal owners should reduce potential mosquito breeding sites on their property by removing standing water from containers such as buckets, tires and wading pools – especially after heavy rains. Water troughs provide excellent mosquito breeding sites and should be flushed out at least once a week during the summer months to reduce mosquitoes near paddocks. Horse owners should keep their horses indoors at night to reduce the risk of mosquito exposure. Owners should also talk to their veterinarian about mosquito repellents approved for animals and vaccinations to prevent West Nile virus and Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis.

If WNV or EEE is suspected in an animal, owners are required to report it to the Department of Agricultural Resources, Division of Animal Health, at 617-626-1795 and to the Department of Public Health at 617-983-6800.

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