CBS News A man in his 80s from Worcester County is the first person in Massachusetts diagnosed with EEE since 2020.
State officials have not released the man’s name or hometown, but the state is raising the EEE risk level to critical in Douglas, Oxford, Sutton and Webster. The risk level for Auburn, Charlton, Grafton, Leicester, Mendon, Millbury, Millville, Southbridge, and Upton is now moderate.
What is EEE?
Eastern equine encephalitis is a rare but serious – and a potentially fatal – disease spread to humans through infected mosquitoes.
There were 12 human cases of EEE in Massachusetts in 2019 with six deaths, and five human cases with one death in 2020. There were no human cases of EEE in Massachusetts in 2021, 2022 or 2023.
The threat of EEE usually eases with the first frost, but experts say the heat and humidity this summer could extend EEE season, which could be a problem as students head back to school and fall sports.