Health experts have confirmed the first case of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) of this year in Massachusetts. A man in MetroWest was admitted in a hospital and was later released. He had travelled outside the region and was bitten by a number of mosquitoes, according to the state Department of Public Health. He had fallen ill on July
28 after being bit by mosquitoes but it is not known where he contracted EEE.

A state laboratory had detected 84 mosquitoes infected with EEE during the summer season so far. The figure is higher than 80 infected mosquitoes detected during the whole of the previous year, according to Catherine Brown, a veterinarian at the state Department of Public Health.

"The fact that we saw it in mammal biters at the same time as we were first identifying it, that was a big concern for us," Brown said.

Experts believe that the rise in number could be because of higher trapping in high risk areas in the state. Brown acknowledged that the EEE activity has increased during the year. She said that the disease has surfaced in areas that are outside hotspots and more towns than usual are considered to be at risk.