PENOBSCOT COUNTY, Maine — A person from Penobscot County has tested presumptive positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE).
The case was "locally acquired," because the person has not traveled outside of the state, according to a press release from the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) Thursday. The presumptive positive test result was sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for confirmation.
The person became sick with severe symptoms in early October and is still in the hospital, the Maine CDC said.
This is the first human case of EEE in Maine since 2015, according to the Maine CDC.
EEE is a virus that is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. It cannot spread from human to human, or between human and animal, according to the Maine CDC.
"Even though the risk of mosquito bites is low right now, it can take up to several weeks for people who were bitten by an infected mosquito to develop symptoms," Maine CDC Director Dr. Puthiery Va said in the press release.
Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV) and West Nile virus (WNV) are also mosquito-borne illnesses detected in either mosquito pools or animals in Maine this year.
Symptoms of EEE, JCV, and WNV are flu-like, including fever, body aches, and headaches. In severe cases, people who are infected with the viruses can experience brain swelling and inflammation of the spinal cord. In some cases, mosquito-borne diseases can also lead to death, according to the Maine CDC.
This year, the Maine CDC has reported the following data:
- Positive for EEE:
- 1 mosquito pool
- 3 wild birds
- 18 domestic animals
- 1 human
- Positive for JCV:
- 4 mosquito pools
- Positive for WNV:
- 1 mosquito pool
- 33 wild birds
- 2 domestic animals
- 2 humans (one case acquired in Maine, and one acquired out of state)
RELATED: Health experts point to a mild winter and spring as root cause of increased mosquito-borne illnesses
"Two hard frost events across most of the state dramatically reduces the risk of mosquito-borne diseases," the press release stated.
To learn more about EEE, WNV, or JCV, you can click here.