Another Vermont town has been designated as “high risk” for Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus (EEEV).
Sudbury, a small town of just a few hundred residents in Rutland County, Vermont, was added to the state's warning list on Wednesday, joining Burlington, Alburgh, Colchester and Swanton, according to local outlet WCAX3.
Health officials have urged state residents to take precautions to avoid exposure to the EEEV virus, which has appeared in several locations in New England. Cases have also been reported in Wisconsin.
WHAT IS EEE, THE MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASE THAT KILLED A NEW HAMPSHIRE MAN?
Health officials in several New England states are warning residents about the potentially deadly mosquito-borne Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus after detecting mosquitoes that tested positive for the virus. (iStock)
Equine encephalitis virus is a rare but serious disease that is transmitted to people through infected mosquitoes. Health officials in several states have urged residents to take precautions to avoid exposure.
“Obviously this disease is dangerous, but it's not widespread right now. We need to recognize that it's there and take precautions,” Vermont Gov. Phil Scott previously said of the virus.
Last week, a Hampstead, New Hampshire man died after testing positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE).
The man “was hospitalized due to serious central nervous system diseaseand died due to [the] disease,” according to a statement from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
NEW HAMPSHIRE RESIDENT DIES FROM EEEV INFECTION AS RARE, DEADLY MOSQUITO-BORNE VIRUS SPREADS IN NEW ENGLAND
In late August, four Massachusetts towns (Douglas, Oxford, Sutton, and Webster) instituted a voluntary nightly shutdown in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus. spread of the virus.
That decision came after the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) confirmed the first human case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) since 2020 in Worcester County, affecting an elderly man in Oxford.
Eastern equine encephalitis is caused by a virus transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito, according to the CDC, which describes EEE as a “rare but serious disease.”
Only a few cases are reported each year in the United States, mostly in the eastern or Gulf Coast states.
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The CDC recommends using insect repellents, wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, and treating clothing and gear with permethrin, which is an insecticide that kills or repels mosquitoes. (iStock)
While EEE was previously “very rare” in the U.S., there is potential for these types of viruses to become more prevalent across the country, according to Dr. Edward Liu, chief of infectious diseases at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center.
“As warm seasons get longer, mosquitoes have more time to breed,” Liu told Fox News Digital. “If heavy rains cause pools of stagnant water, that will create an environment conducive to larger mosquito populations.”
Common symptoms Symptoms of EEE include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, neck stiffness, seizures, behavioral changes and drowsiness, according to the CDC. These usually appear five to 10 days after the bite. The disease can be fatal, killing up to 30 percent of infected people.
Fox News Digital's Melissa Rudy contributed to this report.
