A Madison County resident has been hospitalized with the county’s first-ever human infection of EEE, an extremely rare, but deadly, virus.
The mosquito-borne virus attacks the brain. About 30% of infected people die, while about 50% of survivors are left with lasting brain damage, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Madison County officials did not provide the age of the individual, nor where in the county that person might have been infected, citing privacy concerns. Generally, people under the age of 15 and over the age of 60 are most vulnerable.
Nationally, about 1 to 2 people die of eastern equine encephalitis each year.
There are no available vaccines or treatments for EEE, county officials said. Prevention is focused on reducing mosquito populations and avoiding insect bites.