(Washington) — A person in the northeastern United States has died from Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), a rare mosquito-borne disease, local health authorities announced Tuesday.
The New Hampshire Department of Health identified the patient in a statement as an adult from Hampstead Township, without providing additional details on gender or age. The person was hospitalized with severe central nervous system deterioration and died from the illness, the news release said.
“The last known human case of Eastern equine encephalitis virus in New Hampshire was in 2014,” he adds, when the health department reported “three human cases, including two deaths.”
The death comes amid growing concerns in the northeastern United States about the risk of EEE, which will be exacerbated by climate change.
Earlier this month, New Hampshire's neighbor, Massachusetts, reported the state's first case of EEE this year, in an 80-year-old man.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the primary public health agency in the United States, symptoms of Eastern equine encephalitis virus include fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, behavioral changes, and drowsiness.
It can also cause major neurological disturbances.
About 30% of people infected die, and many of those who survive suffer from long-term physical or mental effects. People under 15 and over 50 are most at risk.
Health authorities advise using mosquito repellent products, wearing protective clothing outdoors, and removing standing water points near homes to reduce the ease with which mosquitoes can breed.
A 2023 report from Climate Central notes that the number of “mosquito days” — when warm, humid conditions are ideal for the insect — has increased across much of the United States over the past four decades, due to human-caused climate change.
