New Hampshire

EEE Threat Rises in NH Despite Cooler Weather

The risk of the mosquito-borne illness will be present until there is a hard freeze.

Even though temperatures are going down in New Hampshire, the risk of EEE is going up.

Experts say that mosquitoes are resilient, and that people should not let their guard down with mild autumn weather.

"It does not feel like fall," said Sarah McGregor, the founder of Dragon Mosquito Control in Brentwood. "They're pretty happy with this weather."

For 40 years, McGregor has been studying mosquito-borne illnesses and working to control the mosquito population.

The threat of EEE has been very high this season, with deaths confirmed in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

While there have been no human cases confirmed in New Hampshire, McGregor warns that the season is not over yet.

"People think if they've had a frost, that's it, that's the end of mosquito season," she said. "It's not. We need a hard freeze."

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services says this is the riskiest time to contract diseases from mosquitoes, and that the risk is still present until temperatures drop below freezing for several hours.

McGregor says the mosquitoes carrying the disease are more likely to survive the cold.

"The mosquitoes that are left are the worst ones you could imagine," she said.

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