A sixth person has died from Eastern Equine Encephalitis in Michigan this year, health officials confirmed Monday.
The Berrien County Health Department said the victim was one of two people who contracted EEE in the county. The victim died Saturday.
EEE is one of the most dangerous mosquito-borne diseases with a 33% fatality rate in humans. The disease has a 90% fatality rate in horses.
This year's outbreak has hit Michigan particularly hard with 10 human cases and 46 animal cases. On average, only seven human cases are reported annually across the country.
EEE is only carried by certain types of mosquitoes in Michigan, and the threat diminishes after nighttime temperatures consistently fall below freezing.
State officials announced at the end of September they were going to conduct aerial spraying 14 counties to combat the risk of the disease.
More than 557,000 acres were treated to fight the spread of EEE.
Cases of EEE first popped up in West Michigan at the end of August, when six horses in Barry, Kalamazoo and St. Joseph counties died from the disease. Since then, cases have spread around the region.
FAQs about EEE and aerial spraying
RELATED VIDEO:
Other EEE coverage on 13 ON YOUR SIDE:
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.