CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – A young resident of Newfields was in critical condition Saturday after being the second person diagnosed with potentially deadly Eastern equine encephalitis in the state this summer.
State Epidemiologist Dr. Jose Montero said officials believe the patient was bitten by an infected mosquito in Newfields, or nearby.
Newfields, in southeastern New Hampshire, is a few towns away from Newton, where a man was diagnosed with the disease last week. He initially was reported in critical condition, but has been recovering.
Montero said the discovery highlights the importance of avoiding being bitten by mosquitoes in the waning days of summer.
He said the mosquito season peaks at the end of August and early September, with mosquito activity through the end of the month and even into October, until there is a killing frost.
“We need to keep vigilant. We need to keep alert and use mosquito repellent all the time when we go outside” he said, especially in the “high-risk” southeastern part of the state.
“This is not a town issue,” he said. “This is a regional issue. Mosquitoes do not acknowledge borders.”
A horse in Kensington, in the same region, died from the illness last week
Officials in many towns have been taking extra precautions against mosquitoes, spraying and even providing mosquito repellent to children headed back to school.
There were no human cases of EEE in New Hampshire last year, but there were seven cases, including two deaths, in the state in 2005.
Eastern Equine Encephalitis is a virus transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito that has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird. Overall, health officials say, the risk to people is low, and in most cases, symptoms are mild, but EEE can cause serious illness or death.
Symptoms generally begin 2 to 14 days after being bitten. In severe cases, the first symptoms are high fever, stiff neck, headache and lack of energy.
In rare cases, EEE can progress to encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), coma and death.
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