BREWSTER (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) State health officials confirm the first-ever discovery of a human-biting mosquito infected with eastern equine encephalitis on Cape Cod.
The virus was detected in a pool of 21 mosquitoes caught at Nickerson State Park in Brewster. It is unclear at this time how many mosquitoes in the pool were infected with EEE.
Health officials say this is the first time EEE has been found in a human-biting mosquito since they began testing mosquito pools in the 1970s.
While officials say the mosquito population as a whole is rather low due to local swamps being dried up, they are asking that all residents take the threat seriously and protect themselves from being bit.
Eastern equine encephalitis can be potentially fatal for humans, with symptoms that include fever, chills, and vomiting.
Several Massachusetts communities have been sprayed for mosquitoes in recent weeks after their testing pools came back positive for EEE.
