Mosquito-borne encephalitis virus claims life of New Hampshire resident

A New Hampshire resident infected with the mosquito-borne eastern equine encephalitis virus has died, state health officials said.

The Hampstead resident’s infection was the state’s first in a decade, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday. The resident, whom the department identified only as an adult, was hospitalized for severe central nervous system symptoms, the department said.

About one-third of people who develop encephalitis from the virus die from the infection, and survivors can 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 severe neurological disease, along with inflammation of the brain and membranes surrounding the spinal cord.

“When it causes an infection, it’s very, very severe. Although it’s a very rare infection, we don’t have a treatment for it,” said Dr. Richard Ellison, an immunologist and infectious disease specialist at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center. “Once someone gets it, it’s just — all we can do is provide supportive care, and it can kill people.”

Nationally, the burden of eastern equine encephalitis can vary from year to year. Typically, there are about 11 human cases in the U.S. per year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were seven cases nationwide last year, but more than 30 in 2019, which was a historically bad year in which at least a dozen patients died, according to federal data.

The 2019 outbreak included six deaths among the 12 confirmed cases in Massachusetts, and the outbreak continued the following year with five more cases and another death. Two of the three people infected in New Hampshire in 2014 died.

This year, human infections have been confirmed in New Jersey, Wisconsin, Massachusetts and Vermont, as well as New Hampshire, according to the CDC.

The New Hampshire Department of Health said the virus was also detected in a horse and several batches of mosquitoes in New Hampshire this summer. Mosquitoes that carry the virus can sometimes be found in developed areas that were once wetlands, where they can still find habitat, Ellison said.

Public health authorities in states where mosquito-borne infections occur are encouraging people to take precautions by preventing mosquito bites by using repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants, and avoiding outdoor activities in the early morning and evening when mosquitoes are most active. more active. Removing any standing water where mosquitoes breed is also important.

“We believe there is an increased risk of EEEV infections this year in New England given the positive mosquito samples identified. The risk will continue into the fall until a hard frost occurs that kills the mosquitoes. Everyone should take steps to prevent mosquito bites when outdoors,” said New Hampshire Epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan.

In Massachusetts, several cities have urged people to avoid going outdoors at night this summer because of concerns about the virus, one of several diseases that mosquitoes can spread to humans. Authorities in Massachusetts planned to begin spraying Tuesday in some communities to prevent the spread.

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