Second MA Human EEE Case Confirmed; West Nile Virus Detected In North Shore Mosquito

PLYMOUTH, MA — A woman in Plymouth County and a horse are the latest confirmed cases of Eastern equine encephalitis in Massachusetts this summer, the state Department of Public Health said on Thursday.

That came on the same day that the North Shore town of Winthrop said that a mosquito in that coastal community tested positive for West Nile virus.

• 2 New Human West Nile Virus Cases; Brookline, Newton Added To High-Risk List

The confirmation of the second human case comes as the state has begun spraying for mosquitos in southeastern Massachusetts, and some cities and towns have considered a curfew on school and recreational outdoor activities until the first frost of the fall.

The state DPH said there have been 76 EEE-positive mosquito samples so far this year detected from Abington, Carver, Halifax, Kingston, Marion, Middleborough, Plymouth, Rochester, Wareham, and Whitman in Plymouth County; New Bedford, Raynham, Taunton, and Westport in Bristol County; Barnstable in Barnstable County; Dedham and Medfield in Norfolk County; Sudbury in Middlesex County; Amesbury and Haverhill in Essex County; and Dudley and Upton in Worcester County.

The season's first EEE-positive mosquitoes in Massachusetts were announced on July 3 from Carver.

"This evidence of the spread of EEE to a person and a horse in Plymouth County before aerial spraying confirms risk in the area," said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD. "We expect that the aerial spraying will help prevent risk for EEE from continuing to escalate in the area, but it does not eliminate it completely. We are asking people to be consistent about taking steps to prevent mosquito bites."

EEE is a rare but serious and potentially fatal disease that can affect people of all ages. EEE is generally spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. The first human infection with EEE virus this year was a male in his 80s exposed in southern Worcester County.

Winthrop Health Director Meredith Hurley reports that a mosquito in Winthrop tested positive for West Nile virus and that the town's risk level has now been increased to high risk for WNV infection.

Mosquitoes get WNV and EEE by biting infected birds. People and animals can get these diseases by being bitten by an infected mosquito.

Residents are advised to avoid outdoor activities — especially in wooded areas — around the hours of dawn and dusk, wear long-sleeved shirts or long pants when out at those times, eliminate standing water around properties that act as mosquito breeding areas, and wear insect repellent.

The state DPH advised to use a repellent with DEET, permethrin, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus, according to the instructions on the product label.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)