Health officials announced on Thursday one additional human case of EEE and one additional human case of West Nile Virus in the Bay State this year.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health says both cases are men in their 70s. The man exposed to EEE reportedly contracted the disease in central Middlesex County. The man exposed to West Nile Virus reportedly contracted the virus in southern Middlesex County.
This brings the total number of human cases for EEE in the state to 3 and West Nile Virus human cases to 7.
“Today’s announcement of additional West Nile virus and Eastern equine encephalitis cases makes it clear that mosquito season is not over,” said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD.
Due to the new human cases, EEE risk levels are being raised to high in Acton, Ayer, Boxborough, Carlisle, and Littleton in Middlesex County; and Harvard in Worcester County, according to officials.
Similarly, West Nile Virus risk levels are being raised to high in Stoneham and Wakefield in Middlesex County. There were six human cases of WNV and no animal cases in 2023.