What to know about EEE, a mosquito-borne virus on the rise
If you live in Massachusetts or Michigan, you are probably hearing a lot these days about something called EEE. If not, that combination of vowels may cause you to draw a blank.
But 2019 is turning out to be a big year for Eastern equine encephalitis, generally called EEE — “triple E” — for short. And if it hasn’t hit your radar yet, it likely will.
We think you’ll have questions. We’ve put together some answers.
What is EEE?
Eastern equine encephalitis is one of several New World encephalitis viruses. It is also what is known as an arbovirus — viruses that are spread by a mosquito or other arthropod. West Nile is another kind of arbovirus.
The virus is found in the northeast of the country as well as along the Great Lakes and the Gulf Coast. It is also occasionally found in Canada; there has been reported in Ontario, in 2016.
