Third Massachusetts EEE victim was from Hampden County, health officials say

State health officials confirm a third person in Massachusetts has died after contracting Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), a rare mosquito-borne illness.

While officials still have not identified the victim, they did confirm on Tuesday the victim was a resident of Hampden County.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health said Monday that a hospital recently notified them that a third person in the state had died from EEE, one of the 10 people diagnosed with the disease. Officials have not released that person's name or where they live. It's also unclear when the person was infected, because it typically takes three to 10 days after a bite from an infected mosquito to see symptoms.

Three dozen cities and towns across the state are at "critical" risk for the disease and 40 are at "high risk."

Last week, the family of Jim Longworth, identified the Freetown man in his 70s as the second person to die from EEE in Massachusetts this year. A Fairhaven woman in her 50s died in August.

Many communities are taking extra precautions, including canceling outdoor sports practices and activities just before dusk, when mosquitos are most active, and the state has been applying pesticides with aerial spraying across many of the areas considered "critical" and "high risk."

Watch: Recognizing the symptoms of EEE

More EEE content from Boston 25 News:

Cox Media Group