By Nathan Duke
Staff Writer

State health officials said a 4-year-old Goffstown boy might have contracted Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE).

This is the second case in the past week of potential EEE infection. A Londonderry woman was hospitalized on Wednesday, Aug. 17, and a preliminary test for the disease came back positive.

The names of both victims were not released by health officials.

The boy was given medical attention on Tuesday, Aug. 16.

Test results for the boy and woman will be available Friday, Aug. 26.

Currently, the woman is in stable condition at Elliot Hospital. The Goffstown boy is in serious – but stable – condition, said Mary Ann Cooney, director of public health for the New Hampshire Division of Health.

EEE is a deadly virus carried by mosquitoes for which there is currently no cure. The illness is fatal in about 35 percent of cases and is more deadly than West Nile virus, which is also carried by mosquitoes, according to reports.

However, the disease is fairly rare and there are several methods to avoid infection, said Cooney.

“It is entirely preventable,” she said. “We hope to send out two messages, one to the public – pay extra attention to using mosquito repellent, use long sleeves and pants and pay attention to standing water; and two to health providers – be extra vigilant about EEE symptoms in patients.”

Cooney said people should be extra careful if they spend time in swamp land, and they should try to avoid standing pools of water, where mosquitoes often reside. She also said people should dress appropriately if going outside during mosquito-heavy times of day, such as dawn and dusk.

Symptoms of EEE are severe headaches, nausea and vomiting, fever and a sore throat.

However, various stages of disorientation and changes in mental status are also telltale symptoms, said Cooney. She listed an inability to think clearly, a loss of motor skill coordination, insomnolence and forgetfulness as symptoms.

Cooney said the incubation period for the disease is about two to 14 days from the time a person is bitten by a mosquito.

She said although many residents may not have heard of the disease, people who are infected often quickly get themselves checked by a doctor.

“People know when they are sick,” she said. “Typically, (the severity of) these symptoms make people seek medical attention.”

An EEE hotline number has been set up for citizens with questions. Call (866) 273-6453 toll free.