Another town in Vermont has been designated “high risk” for eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV).

Sudbury, a tiny town of only a few hundred residents in Rutland County, Vermont, was added to the state’s warning list on Wednesday — joining Burlington, Alburgh, Colchester and Swanton, according to local outlet WCAX3.

Health officials have asked state residents to take precautions to avoid exposure to EEEV, which has popped up in various locations across New England. Cases have also been reported in Wisconsin. 

WHAT IS EEE, THE MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASE THAT KILLED A NEW HAMPSHIRE MAN?

EEEV is a rare but serious disease transmitted to people by infected mosquitoes. Health officials in multiple states have asked residents to take precautions to avoid exposure.

“Obviously, this disease is dangerous, but it’s not widespread at this point. We should acknowledge that it’s there and take precautions,” Vermont Gov. Phil Scott previously said of the virus.

Last week, a man from Hampstead, New Hampshire, died after testing positive for Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE).

The man “was hospitalized due to severe central nervous system disease, and has passed away due to [the] illness,” according to a statement from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

NEW HAMPSHIRE RESIDENT DIES AFTER EEEV INFECTION, AS RARE, LETHAL MOSQUITO-BORNE VIRUS SPREADS IN NEW ENGLAND

In late August, four Massachusetts towns — Douglas, Oxford, Sutton and Webster — set a voluntary evening lockdown in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus.

That decision came after the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) confirmed the first human case of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) since 2020 in Worcester County, affecting an elderly man in Oxford.

Eastern equine encephalitis is casued by a virus that is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito, according to the CDC, which describes EEE as a “rare but serious disease.”

Only a few cases are reported in the U.S. each year, most in the Eastern or Gulf Coast states.

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The CDC recommends using insect repellents, wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants and treating clothing and gear with permethrin, which is an insecticide that kills or repels mosquitoes.  (iStock)

While EEE was previously “very uncommon” in the U.S., there is the potential for these types of viruses to become more prevalent across the country, according to Dr. Edward Liu, chief of infectious diseases at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

“As warm seasons get longer, mosquitoes have more time to breed,” Liu told Fox News Digital. “If heavy rains cause standing pools of water, that will create an environment for larger mosquito populations.”

Common symptoms of EEE include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, stiff neck, seizures, behavioral changes and drowsiness, per the CDC. These usually appear five to 10 days after being bitten. The disease can be deadly, resulting in fatalities for 30% of infected people.

Fox News Digital’s Melissa Rudy contributed to this report.

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – In 2023, a frost in May decimated the region’s apple crop. This year, growers are enjoying a complete rebound.

“This is 180 degrees out from last year,” said Phil Murdock of Chapin Orchards.

Last year, bloomless and bare branches forced Murdock to import apples from out of state to sustain his business. A late May freeze decimated what experts say was around 90% of the region’s harvest, but the apples we missed picking last year are back. As Murdock describes it, it’s a once-in-a-decade crop.

“I think the trees last year didn’t have to work to produce anything, a lot of pent-up energy, so they produced with vigor this year,” said Murdock.

The trees are full of apples, with so many of them that even apple expert Terence Bradshaw was excited by their almost logic-defying abundance and size.

“We didn’t really have flooding issues in the orchards, but we had plenty of water, so of the fruit we have it’s really good sized, so that’s nice. Because often when we have these big heavy years, the fruit are smaller, but these are a decent size,” said Bradshaw.

And with nights getting colder, Bradshaw tells me the apple starches turn sweet, and the first batch of cider at Adam’s Apple Orchard was pressed Friday.

“We’re happy to be making our own cider with our own apples again. We didn’t make much last year, so it feels like we’re back to normal,” said John Adams from Adam’s Apple Orchard.

With the apple industry back to business as usual, the only thing these growers asked for was good weather for the pick-your-own season.

Orchard owners tell me that this year’s apples should be good until November, so go out and pick your own.

Copyright 2024 WCAX. All rights reserved.

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – The threat of triple-e remains a concern across our region and many extermination companies are working to address a sharp rise in calls to spray for mosquitoes, the vectors of the rare but deadly disease.

With sprayers fired up and ready to go, pest control companies are making sure their gear is in tip-top shape to respond to calls for mosquitoes.

“There has been a significant change. We have some of these customers calling us back and saying, ‘Hey, let’s get back on the schedule. We want this service because we don’t want any of these viruses that are spreading from the mosquitoes,’” said Ian Gordon with Vermont Pest Control.

In the last couple of weeks, the threat of eastern equine encephalitis has expanded in parts of Vermont, including in parts of Rutland, Addison, Chittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle Counties, and businesses like Gordon’s have seen their calls double to spray properties. “We want to make sure that we’re trimming back the vegetation around the house — the dark areas – pay attention to those, and if you have standing water or anything around your property,” Gordon said.

He says the pesticides they use are EPA-certified and stick to the vegetation and that they are not harmful to pets or people. He says they can only spray when the wind speeds are low.

The state in the past has contracted for aerial spraying of trouble spots but no decision has been made on whether to do that this season.

“There is a real risk, but it’s a small risk. I don’t want people to be over alarmed but I also want people to know how to keep themselves safe in easy ways,” said Dr. Tim Lahey, an infectious disease expert at the UVM Medical Center. He says symptoms of triple-e include fever, headache, and vomiting and that the disease can be deadly.

New Hampshire officials reported last week that an infected resident died. In Vermont, health officials say a man in his 40s from Chittenden County was the first detected case of the virus in Vermont since 2012. They recommend using insect repellent if you do need to be outside. In high-risk areas — Alburgh, Burlington, Colchester, Swanton, and Sudbury — they suggest wearing long sleeves and long pants or avoiding spending time outside at dawn and dusk.

Copyright 2024 WCAX. All rights reserved.