9 Additional Southeastern MA Communities at High Risk for EEE Virus

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Tuesday, August 06, 2019

GoLocalWorcester News Team

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced that nine additional communities in southeastern MA are now at high risk from the eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus.

The communities are Berkley, Bridgewater, Dighton, East Bridgewater, Halifax, Plympton, Rehoboth, West Bridgewater, and Whitman in Bristol and Plymouth counties, bringing the total number of communities at high risk to 22.

“The month of August is when we typically see the highest chance of EEE infection in humans. We are asking people to know their risk and take appropriate precautions,” said DPH State Epidemiologist Dr. Catherine Brown.

No human or animal EEE cases have been detected so far this year.

EEE

EEE is a rare but serious and potentially fatal disease that can affect people of all ages.

EEE occurs sporadically in Massachusetts with the most recent outbreak years occurring from 2004-2006 and 2010-2012.

There were 22 human cases of EEE infection during those two outbreak periods with 14 cases occurring among residents of Bristol and Plymouth Counties.

The last human case of EEE in Massachusetts occurred in 2013.

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• New England States At Increased Risk for West Nile + EEE

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