The warnings come every summer: Watch out for ticks, mosquitoes and other pests carrying floridly named diseases. And for the most part, we listen in passing. Maybe we use bug spray. Maybe we check ourselves for ticks after a walk in the woods. But maybe not.
The death of a Hampstead, N.H., man from Eastern equine encephalitis last week, however, is a grim reminder that we must all take precautions, even on the hottest days of summer.
This was the first reported EEE infection in New Hampshire in a decade. Three people contracted the disease in 2014, with two dying from the infection. New Hampshire officials said EEE has been found in one horse and seven batches of mosquitoes, which carry the disease.
Massachusetts is not immune. Earlier this month, a man in his 80s was exposed to the disease in Worcester County, and state officials said 10 Bay State communities were at high risk for exposure. The state began spraying parts of Worcester and Plymouth counties last week. A second human case was confirmed on Thursday -- a woman in her 30s in Plymouth County tested positive for the virus.
State officials are warning that along with EEE, there are several municipalities where there is a high risk for mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus. Cases of West Nile have been reported in more than 30 states. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was infected this year and is recovering at home after being hospitalized for almost a week.
Mosquitoes, of course, don't respect town or state borders. Health officials are urging everyone to take precautions.
"There is an elevated risk for EEE infections this year in New England, given the positive mosquito samples identified," Dr. Benjamin Chan, New Hampshire's state epidemiologist, said in a statement. "The risk will continue into the fall until there is a hard frost that kills the mosquitoes. Everybody should take steps to prevent mosquito bites when they are outdoors."
Those steps are fairly simple: Dump out any standing water around your home; it's where mosquitoes thrive. Don't schedule outdoor events from dusk to dawn, when they are most active. And if you are outdoors in that time frame, wear long pants, a long-sleeve shirt and socks, even in August.
"This may be difficult to do when the weather is hot, but it will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin," the Massachusetts Department of Public Health said on its website.
And while EEE is rare -- with about 115 recorded cases in Massachusetts since 1938 -- it is deadly serious.
In a 2019 outbreak, there were six deaths among 12 confirmed cases in Massachusetts. The next year, the outbreak continued with five more cases and another death.
The disease can cause flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, muscle aches and joint pain and can lead to severe neurological disease. About a third of all people who develop encephalitis from EEE die from their infection. There is no antiviral treatment, and no vaccine.
People who survive are often permanently disabled, health officials say. Few recover completely.
Steven Perry of Hampstead was healthy before he contracted EEE, his brother, Jim, told The Boston Globe.
"It's shocking for sure," Jim Perry said. "At 41 years old, if this can affect someone who is healthy ... we want people to be careful and conscious of it. It's around."
-- The Salem News (Beverly, Mass.)