A New Hampshire resident has died from eastern equine encephalitis, a mosquito-borne disease, health officials said Tuesday. Family identified the man as 41-year-old Steven Perry of Hampstead. Health officials said Perry was hospitalized with an acute central nervous system illness and later died. EEE is a rare but serious mosquito-borne illness. New Hampshire’s last reported human E.E.E. infection was in 2014, when three cases were identified and two people died. . “So, this is a serious infection. We want people to know it’s out there and circulating.”>> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play
A New Hampshire resident has died of eastern equine encephalitis, a mosquito-borne disease, health officials said Tuesday.
Family identified the man as 41-year-old Steven Perry of Hampstead. Perry was hospitalized with a severe central nervous system disorder and later died, health officials said.
EEE is a rare but serious mosquito-borne disease. The last reported human EEE infection in New Hampshire was in 2014, when three cases were identified and two people died.
“About one-third of people die from their infections, and many end up with lifelong physical or mental disabilities,” said state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan. “So, this is a serious infection. We want people to be aware that it’s out there and circulating.”
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EEE has been detected in at least one horse and seven mosquito herds in New Hampshire so far this summer. The virus has also been detected in Massachusetts and Vermont this year.
Mosquitoes in New Hampshire also transmit West Nile virus and Jamestown Canyon virus. Health officials urge everyone to use mosquito repellent and wear long sleeves and pants to avoid mosquito bites.
The risk of mosquito-borne disease will continue until there is a hard freeze this fall.
