A resident of New Hampshire infected with the Eastern equine encephalitis virus transmitted by mosquitoes has died, state health officials reported.
The infection of the Hampstead resident was the first in the state in a decade, reported the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday. The resident, whom the department only identified as an adult, had been hospitalized due to severe symptoms of the central nervous system, the agency said.
Around one third of people who develop encephalitis from the virus die from the infections, and survivors may suffer lifelong mental and physical disabilities. There is no vaccine or antiviral treatment available for the infections, which can cause flu-like symptoms and lead to a severe neurological illness along with inflammation of the brain and the membranes surrounding the spinal cord.
"When it causes an infection, it is very, very serious. Although it is a very rare infection, we do not have a treatment for it," says Dr. Richard Ellison, immunologist and infectious disease specialist at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center Memorial. "Once someone contracts it, the only thing we can do is provide supportive care, as the virus can kill people."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are usually around 11 human cases of Eastern equine encephalitis in the country each year. Two out of the three people infected in New Hampshire in 2014 died.
The health department said that the virus has also been detected in a horse and several batches of mosquitoes in New Hampshire this summer, and people in Massachusetts and Vermont have also been infected. Mosquitoes carrying the virus can sometimes be found in areas that used to be swampy land that has been converted but where they can still find habitat, Ellison said.
Public health authorities in states where mosquito-transmitted infections occur recommend that people take precautions, avoiding mosquito bites by using repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants, and avoiding outdoor activities early in the morning and at night when mosquitoes are most active. It is also important to eliminate stagnant water where mosquitoes breed.