The state of Vermont has reported its first death caused by Eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, since 2012, the Department of Health confirmed Thursday.
The patient, a man in his 70s from Chittenden County, was hospitalized in late August and died in September, health officials say. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the test results showing he died from the diseas.
A second EEE case was confirmed in the state in early August. That person has since recovered. These EEE infections are the first reported in the state since 2012. Massachusetts and New Hampshire have also confirmed EEE cases this year.
Health officials in New Hampshire have confirmed two deaths in their state this season. In Massachusetts, health officials do not report death numbers until the end of the season. However, family members say that an Acton man, 76-year-old Basil Chigas, died from the virus this season.
EEE is a rare but serious mosquito-borne illness. Symptoms include fever, chills, body aches and joint pain. Some will develop severe symptoms from encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain, Vermont health officials say. This can cause serious neurological problems and death, according to the CDC.
There is no human vaccine or treatment for EEE, so the best protection is prevention. Health officials advise residents to avoid outdoor activities at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active, to use EPA-registered insect repellent, to wear loose-fitting long-sleeved shirts and long pants outdoors, fix any holes in screens and remove standing water around your home.
The Vermont towns considered at high-risk for EEE are Alburgh, Burlington, Colchester, Salisbury, Sudbury, Swanton, and Whiting. In high-risk communities, residents are urged to limit outdoor activities between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. until the first local frost.
