New York state reported its first case of eastern equine encephalitis in nearly a decade on Friday.
The New York State Department of Health announced that the rare mosquito-borne virus has been detected in Ulster County. The person has been hospitalized, it said.
The Ulster County Health Department is investigating the case, which is the first confirmed case of EEE in New York state since 2015, health officials said.
“Eastern equine encephalitis is a serious and deadly mosquito-borne disease for which there is no vaccine,” New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said in a statement. “Even as temperatures cool, mosquito-borne diseases remain a risk and New Yorkers must be cautious.”
Matthew Vanderpool, an environmental health specialist and entomologist with the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness, shows a mosquito collected earlier in the day, Aug. 25, 2021, in Louisville, Ky.
Jon Cherry/Getty Images
The human case comes after a case of EEE was confirmed in a horse in Ulster County in August, the state health department said. Earlier this month, two emus in Rensselaer County, New York, also tested positive for the virus, which does not directly transmit from birds to humans, the department said.
The latest human case of EEE in New York brings the national toll to at least 11 so far this year, according to an ABC News tally. The annual national average is 11, with most cases occurring in Eastern or Gulf Coast states.
Besides New York, cases have been reported in at least six other states so far this year: Massachusetts, with four; New Hampshire, with two; and, with one each, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.
Between 2003 and 2023, at least 196 cases of EEE were reported in the United States, including 176 hospitalizations and 79 deaths.
The best way to prevent infection with the disease is to protect yourself from mosquito bites, including using insect repellent, wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, treating clothing and equipment, and taking steps to control mosquitoes indoors and outdoors.
“With the first confirmed human case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis in Ulster County, I urge residents to take recommended precautions to prevent mosquito bites and the risk of infection,” Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger said in a statement.
Most people infected with EEE do not develop symptoms. In those who do, symptoms can include fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, behavioral changes and drowsiness, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the CDC, about a third of people who develop severe cases die.
