4 Best Protection Tips for New Englanders as Massachusetts Reports First Human EEE Case

When I think of the amount of time we spent outside as children, it's a wonder we made it to adulthood.

Massachusetts has announced the first report of a human and animal contracting Eastern Equine Encephalitis, a.k.a EEE/West Nile virus, according to The Boston Herald.  Now, there are 14 communities in Massachusetts that are at risk:

High Risk:  Carver and Middleboro, Massachusetts

Moderate Risk:  Amesbury, Groveland, Halifax, Haverhill, Kingston, Merrimack, Newburyport, Plymouth, Plympton, Salisbury, Wareham, and West Newbury (I see you, Seacoast towns!).

See all towns in Massachusetts and what their risk is, according to mass.gov.

Mild EEE symptoms can include abdominal pain, fever, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes.  Serious cases (although rare) can include brain damage, permanent muscle weakness, and even death, according to pennmedicine.org. 

Here are the four best tips to keep yourself protected.

1. Cover every inch of your skin when you go outside  That means wearing long sleeves and pants, even in the summer.
2. Use bug spray with DEET on every inch of your skin.  What are you to do if you wear makeup, you might ask?  EEE isn't pretty.  Use the DEET all over, even your face.
3. Avoid standing water.  We went to an Airbnb in Vermont this past weekend, and there was a manmade pond. Those kinds of spots are RESORTS for mosquitoes.  No thank you.
4. Avoid being outside at dusk and dawn.  This one is a bummer, but that's when mosquitoes are the most active.

EEE in Maine

There has been no case of EEE virus detected in Maine since 2015, according to Newsweek.com. 

EEE in New Hampshire

Since 2013, there have been three cases of EEE in New Hampshire, according to dhhs.nh.gov.  

Between mosquitos, ticks, and everything else that's out there, we might be forced to wear one of these whenever we go outside.  #imnotkiddingbutwishiwas