Fourth Human Case Of EEE Discovered In MA This Year

A Plymouth County woman in her 60s became the fourth Massachusetts resident to contract Eastern equine encephalitis this year, health officials announced Friday.

Officials with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health raised the risk level for EEE in Plymouth to "high." As of Friday, department officials said there are four municipalities at critical risk, 10 at high risk, and 18 at moderate risk for EEE.

Those four towns include Middleborough, Carver, Halifax and Hampden. Three of the those four towns, Carver, Halifax and Middleborough, are in Plymouth County.

The state's first human case of EEE this season was reported in Middleboro at the beginning of August. The Department of Public Health said the person was a boy under 18 years old.

State officials urged residents to use mosquito repellent anytime they go outside. Anyone living in high risk areas should refrain from outdoor activities during dusk and dawn hours.

To see town-by-town EEE risk, view this map on the state's website.