© Kris Craig/The Providence Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
(Ulster County, NY) – A New York resident from Ulster County has tested positive for eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), marking the state’s first human case of the mosquito-borne virus in nearly a decade, the New York State Health Department announced on Friday. The individual is currently hospitalized, and the Ulster County Department of Health is investigating the case. Earlier this summer, a horse in the same county also tested positive for EEE.
The last reported human case of EEE in New York occurred in 2015. So far this year, there have been at least 10 cases of EEE in the U.S., including one in New Jersey and a fatal case in New Hampshire.
EEE is a rare but serious viral disease spread by infected mosquitoes. While most people infected with the virus do not develop symptoms, severe cases can begin with headaches, high fever, chills, and vomiting. The disease is fatal in about 30% of cases, and survivors may experience long-term neurological damage. Currently, there is no vaccine for EEE.
Health officials are urging New Yorkers to take precautions against mosquito bites by wearing protective clothing, using insect repellent, installing window and door screens, and eliminating standing water around homes to reduce mosquito breeding grounds.
