Fourth EEE Case In Mass. This Year Confirmed In Plymouth

A Plymouth woman is the fourth person in the state to contract the mosquito-borne Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus this year, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health

The woman, who is in her 60s, was confirmed to have the virus by the Department of Public Health (DPH) yesterday. Since her exposure, the state has increased the EEE risk level to "high" in Plymouth.

"I worry most about Bristol and Plymouth counties," said state epidemiologist Catherine Brown. " This year there's kind of a middle-to-southern section of Plymouth county that has been seeing the greatest amount of EEE activity."

Across the state there are now four areas at critical risk, 10 at high risk, and 18 at moderate risk for the virus.

Although most EEE cases are contracted before mid-September and mosquito populations are declining, the DPH stressed in a statement Friday there is still a risk of contracting the virus until a hard frost occurs.

There have not been any deaths in Massachusetts from EEE this year. Last year, 12 people contracted the virus and six people died.