INTERACTIVE MAP: Find out the risk level for EEE or West Nile in your Massachusetts community
Two Massachusetts residents have contracted Eastern equine encephalitis virus this month.
These are the first human cases of the arbovirus since 2013. One of the EEE cases is a man described by the state Department of Public Health as a man in his late 20s from Grafton and the other is described as a man in his 60s from southern Plymouth County.
Mosquitoes with this disease have been detected in seven of the state's 13 counties this year. The risk levels for humans have been raised to "high" or "critical" in communities in Bristol, Plymouth, Middlesex and Worcester counties. The West Nile virus also has been detected in several communities.
Check back daily for mosquito results and updated risk maps.
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EEE is a rare virus transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito, according to the U.S. Center for Disease and Control and Prevention.
People most susceptible to the virus are children under 15 and adults over 50. About 30% of individuals who are infected with the virus die, while many survivors go on to have indefinite “neurological problems,” according to the CDC. There is no treatment for the virus.
Symptoms include lack of energy, high fever and stiff neck. Mosquitoes carrying the virus are often found around freshwater and hardwood swamps.
Outbreaks tend to happen every 10 to 20 years and last for three years, according to the release, which noted that the last outbreak occurred in 2010 - nine cases were identified and four people died.
The state recommends residents protect themselves by avoiding being outside between dusk and dawn, by wearing long-sleeved shirts, using bug repellent, repairing any broken windows and draining any puddles of standing water.
Find the state's aerial mosquito spray map here. This mapping tool can be used to view a planned spray area, to determine whether a specific location is inside the spray area, or to see exactly which areas were sprayed.