Sep 4, 2007 11:30 am US/Eastern
N.H. Boy In Critical Condition With Triple E
NEWFIELDS, N.H. (WBZ) ―
A 13-year-old New Hampshire boy is in critical condition with Eastern equine encephalitis.
The unidentified resident of Newfields is the second person diagnosed with EEE in the state this summer.
Selectmen held an emergency meeting Saturday after the diagnosis was confirmed and authorized Dragon Mosquito Control to spray all roads in towns and around the elementary school.
Crews put out mosquito traps over the weekend and sprayed Monday night. There will be spraying in nearby Stratham Tuesday night.
Officials don't know if the boy contracted EEE in his neighborhood or in a nearby town, but they are asking residents in his neighborhood to take precautions.
"We'll spray this town and we'll continue to spray this town, but the best protection is to stay indoors at night, stay covered up and put lots of bug repellent on," said Sarah MacGregor of Dragon Mosquito Control.
Newfields, in southeastern New Hampshire, is a few towns away from Newton, where a man was diagnosed with the disease last month. He initially was reported in critical condition, but has been recovering.
There were no human cases in the state last year. Seven people were infected in 2005 and two died.
State Epidemiologist Dr. Jose Montero said the mosquito season peaks at the end of August and early September, with mosquito activity through the end of the month and even into October, until there is a killing frost.
"This is the time of year this disease has amplified in the environment and the mosquitoes are picking it up from the birds, and even through the mosquito population is low, there's enough mosquitoes out there carrying the disease, and they're the kind that bite humans," MacGregor said.
Eastern Equine Encephalitis is a virus transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito that has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird. Overall, health officials say, the risk to people is low, and in most cases, symptoms are mild, but EEE can cause serious illness or death.
Symptoms generally begin 2 to 14 days after being bitten. In severe cases, the first symptoms are high fever, stiff neck, headache and lack of energy.
In rare cases, EEE can progress to encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), coma and death.
For more information on eastern equine encephalitis or West Nile Virus, call the N.H. Department of Health and Human Services toll-free information line at 866.273.6543 or log onto
www.dhhs.nh.gov.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
