New Hampshire patient dies of mosquito-borne EEE virus

• This is New Hampshire's first reported case of EEE in a decade, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Division of Public Health Services (DPHS).
• There are no vaccines or specific viral treatments to treat EEE.

Driving the news: Health officials identified the patient as an adult from Hampstead, New Hampshire who was hospitalized after developing severe central nervous system disease.

• Officials did not specify exactly when the death occurred.
• "We believe there is an elevated risk for EEEV infections this year in New England given the positive mosquito samples identified," state epidemiologist Benjamin Chan said in the press release.
• "The risk will continue into the fall until there is a hard frost that kills the mosquitos. Everybody should take steps to prevent mosquito bites when they are outdoors," Chan added.

Zoom out: The Massachusetts Department of Public Health last week announced the state's first human case of EEE this year.

• Massachusetts officials have warned that 10 Massachusetts counties are at high or critical risk of EEE this summer. Two counties are expected to be sprayed with insecticide this week.
• A human case of EEE was also reported in Vermont earlier this month.

Go deeper: Massachusetts towns on alert over potentially deadly mosquito-borne virus