State public health officials say the eastern equine encephalitis virus has been detected in a mosquito in Massachusetts for the first time this year.
The state Public Health Department announced Friday that testing confirmed the virus was present in a mosquito collected in Middleborough earlier this week.
The finding does not indicate an elevated risk of EEE, but residents are advised to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites including using insect repellant and limiting outdoor activities after dusk.
EEE is a potentially fatal disease in humans generally spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. There have been no human cases of EEE in Massachusetts this year or last.
Another mosquito-borne disease, West Nile virus, was detected for the first time this year in Massachusetts in Worcester last week.
