New York Declares Public Health Threat Following EEE Fatality

A person has died in New York from eastern equine encephalitis, prompting Gov. Kathy Hochul to declare it an imminent public health threat. This is the second EEE death in the U.S. this year. The state is mobilizing resources to help local health departments combat the mosquito-borne disease.

A person has died in New York state from eastern equine encephalitis, prompting Gov. Kathy Hochul to declare the rare mosquito-borne illness an imminent threat to public health.

The death, reported Monday in Ulster County, marks the second fatality from the disease in the United States this year, following a similar case in New Hampshire last month.

Ten human cases of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) had been reported nationwide as of Sept. 17, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, prior to this latest New York case.

The fatality in Ulster County is the first death from EEE in New York since 2015. Details about the deceased individual have not been disclosed.

In response, Gov. Hochul stated that the public health declaration would mobilize state resources to assist local health divisions in tackling EEE. "Following the first confirmed human case of EEE, my administration took statewide action to help protect communities – and with today's declaration we're making more State resources available to local departments to support their public health response,'' Hochul said in a news release.

The CDC reports that only a few cases of EEE occur each year in the U.S., predominantly in eastern and Gulf Coast states. Last year saw only seven cases nationwide, compared to over 30 in 2019.

With no vaccines or treatments available, EEE proves fatal in about 30% of cases, with symptoms ranging from fever and headache to vomiting, diarrhea, and seizures.

(With inputs from agencies.)