Third Human EEE Case Discovered In MA This Year

A Plymouth County man in his 90s became the third Massachusetts resident to contract Eastern equine encephalitis this year, health officials announced Wednesday.

Officials with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health raised the risk level for EEE in Halifax from "high" to "critical." The risk levels in East Bridgewater and Hanson have also been raised to high.

Across the state, there are now four Massachusetts towns deemed a critical risk for EEE: Carver, Halifax, Middleborough and Wilbraham. Three of the those four towns, Carver, Halifax and Middleborough, are in Plymouth County.

State health officials said they found EEE in 64 mosquito samples this season. More than 70 percent of them were in species of mosquitoes capable of spreading the virus to humans.

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 is 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.