The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday said it has detected the mosquito-borne disease Eastern Equine Encephalitis in a Maine resident.
The CDC described the infection as “locally acquired” and said it is the first EEE case in Maine since 2015.
The infected person is an adult from Penobscot County who has not recently traveled out of state, according to the CDC. They fell ill with severe symptoms in early October and are still hospitalized.
The diagnosis of EEE is awaiting confirmation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
EEE cannot spread from human to human, or between human and animal, the Maine CDC said.
Symptoms of EEE include flu-like symptoms, such as fever, body aches, and headache. Some people can develop severe symptoms, including brain swelling (encephalitis) and spinal cord inflammation (meningitis).
In some cases, mosquito-borne diseases can lead to death. If you experience any of these symptoms, the Maine CDC recommends calling a health care provider.
