(WCVB 5) – A third person has died of Eastern equine encephalitis in Massachusetts this year, according to state health officials. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health told WCVB that is has received reports about three fatalities among the 10 confirmed human cases of EEE this year. No information was immediately available about the latest victim. A Freetown man in his 70s died of the virus last week, and a Fairhaven woman in her 50s died last month. As of Friday, there are 35 communities now at critical risk, 40 at high risk and 128 at moderate risk for the EEE virus in Massachusetts.
State health officials said this year is the worst outbreak of EEE in Massachusetts since the 1950s. In addition to the 10 human cases of EEE this season in Massachusetts, there have been eight confirmed cases of EEE this year in animals — seven horses and a goat. EEE is a rare but serious and potentially fatal disease that can affect people of all ages. EEE occurs sporadically in Massachusetts, with the most recent outbreak years occurring from 2004-2006 and 2010-2012. READ MORE
