Second case of mosquito-borne EEE reported in NH

Sep. 17—A second case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) has been confirmed in Rockingham County, state health officials announced.

An adult from Kensington who reported experiencing symptoms on Aug. 8 was hospitalized and is recovering, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

The EEE virus is a rare but serious disease that can cause flu-like symptoms including fever, chills, muscle aches and joint pain, and can also lead to neurological disease such as encephalitis and meningitis (brain and spinal cord inflammation).

In August, the Division of Public Health Services said an adult from Hampstead was hospitalized with "severe central nervous system disease," and died from the illness — the first human EEE infection reported in New Hampshire since 2014, health officials said.

In addition to the two human cases, the state health department has identified EEE in four horses (Kensington, Danville, Dunbarton and Northwood) and 15 batches of mosquitoes tested through Aug. 29. Human cases also have been reported in Massachusetts and Vermont, officials said.

Kensington town officials say the town's risk level for the disease has been moved up to "very high."

"What this means is that there have been two cases in town, one in a horse and the other in a human, which raises our risk level," a message on the town website states. "The board had the school, library, park, town hall and grange sprayed" and will continue to be on a schedule "until the first frost."

"Activities outside should be limited from dusk to dawn with special care taken for the elderly and small children," the post states.

Kensington officials said the town's arboviral control vendor indicated there have been no positive EEE — or any other diseases — detected in mosquito pools since the first of August in Kensington, and "our mosquito pools have less activity than last year."

"There was a recent positive for EEE in Hampton Falls this week in a mosquito pool," officials said in a message on the town website. "The town will continue to monitor the mosquito pools until the first frost when the threat is diminished."

In addition to EEE virus, mosquitoes can transmit infection from West Nile virus and Jamestown Canyon virus, State Epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said.

Health experts urge residents to prevent mosquito bites by using repellents, wearing long sleeves and pants while outside, and avoiding outdoor activities in the early morning and evening hours when mosquitoes are most active. People also should remove standing water around their homes to reduce mosquito populations, and make sure that doors and windows have tight-fitting screens without holes.

For questions about mosquito-borne illnesses, call DPHS at 603-271-4496. For more information, visit bit.ly/4dBYxZN.