Mosquitoes in Massachusetts Test Positive for EEE Virus

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced on Friday that a number of mosquitoes collected from the town of Bridgewater tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus at the Hinton State Laboratory Institute.

Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus is a rare illness that is transmitted to humans via a mosquito bite. Many infected with EEE don't show any signs of being ill, but severe cases of EEE are characterized by a sudden onset of headache, high fever, chills, and vomiting, which eventually leads to encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). EEE could progress into disorientation, seizures, or coma.

Most cases of the virus occur in the Atlantic and Gulf Coast states, but very few are reported each year. The findings in Bridgewater, Massachusetts prompted the health department to raise the risk level to moderate (in Easton, Raynham, and Middleborough as well). The routine risk level change does not suggest residents take any urgent measures, but officials hope that many will continue to take proper precautions against exposure to mosquitos, while also protecting homes from mosquito breeding sites.

"EEE is an annual occurrence in Massachusetts," said DPH State Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Catherine Brown, in this Massachusetts Health and Human Services news release. "These were mammal-biting mosquitoes, and the findings should remind residents of the area to cover up and apply insect repellent when outdoors."

There was one documented case of EEE last year in Massachusetts, but there have been no diagnoses this year. Residents were notified of the symptoms, which can affect people of all ages and don't appear until three to ten days after a bite from an infected mosquito. EEE is the most severe mosquito-transmitted virus in the U.S. with a 33% mortality rate as well as significant brain damage in most survivors (with severe cases).

There is no specific treatment or cure for EEE, so the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer prevention methods to avoid such mosquito-borne illnesses. You can read more about the EEE virus in Massachusetts in this Fox News article.

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Mosquitoes, Massachusetts, Virus