Two More Cases of EEE Virus Confirmed in Massachusetts

Two new human cases of mosquito-borne Eastern equine encephalitis were confirmed on Friday by the Massachusetts Department of Health.

They include a woman in her 60s and a 5-year-old girl and are in addition to five cases previously reported in the state, including one death, according to State Epidemiologist Dr. Catherine Brown, CNN reported.

The 5-year-old girl, who is from the town of Sudbury, is in critical condition in hospital.

Thirty-six Massachusetts communities are now at critical risk, 42 are now at high risk and 115 are now at moderate risk for Eastern equine encephalitis , according to the state health department, CNN reported.

More cases and more deaths are possible before the season ends, according to Brown.

Typically, only 5 to 10 human cases of Eastern equine encephalitis are reported in a year, but about 30% of cases result in death, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CNN reported.