EEE Found In Massachusetts First Time This Year

WESTPORT, MA — Eastern equine encephalitis was detected in Massachusetts for the first time this year. The virus, which can be deadly to humans, was found in a mosquito pool collected in Westport August 14, the state Department of Public Health announced Friday. Mosquitoes can transmit EEE to humans through bites.

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EEE symptoms range from fever to meningitis. Most troubling: there's no specific treatment.

State health officials said preventing mosquito bites is key and said people can protect themselves from mosquitoes with the following tips:

• Using insect repellents
• Wearing long-sleeved clothing
• Scheduling outdoor activities to avoid the hours around dawn and dusk
• Repairing damaged window screens
• Removing standing water from the areas around your home

“We have been fortunate over the last several years not to have much evidence of EEE activity," state Epidemiologist Catherine Brown said in a statement. “However, there have been occasional human cases even without much mosquito activity. Therefore, it remains important for residents to take steps to protect themselves against mosquito bites: use insect repellant, cover up, and consider reducing outdoor activities at dusk and after nightfall when mosquitoes are at their most active.”

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