New York's first human case of eastern equine encephalitis reported in Ulster County

State health officials are urging residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites after an upstate resident tested positive for eastern equine encephalitis, the first human case reported in New York since 2015.

The patient, an Ulster County resident, is hospitalized. Officials said the case was confirmed Friday at the Wadsworth Center in Albany and the Ulster County Department of Health is investigating.

In a statement, state Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, can be serious and fatal.

"Mosquitoes, once a nuisance, are now a threat," he said. "Even though temperatures are getting cooler, mosquito-borne illnesses are still a risk."

The virus is transmitted to people and horses through the bite of an infected mosquito, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 30% of people who develop severe illness die, and many survivors have long-term neurological damage.

People over 50 and younger than 15 are at higher risk for infection.

Officials said most people bitten by an infected mosquito will not develop symptoms. In severe cases, symptoms include headaches and high fevers, vomiting, seizures and drowsiness, according to the CDC.

For the first time in five years, an EEE-infected mosquito sample was found in Suffolk County in late August. The infested mosquito sample was taken from the Connetquot River State Park Preserve in Oakdale on Aug. 28. No human cases have been detected on Long Island.

The human case comes nearly a month after the disease was detected in a horse in Ulster County. Horses cannot spread the virus to humans, since it is transmitted from mosquito bites.

There is no human vaccine for EEE, so the best protection is to use insect repellent, wear long-sleeve clothing and remove standing water around the yard to reduce mosquito populations. Residents are also advised to make sure window screens don't have rips and tears.

Human cases of EEE have also been reported in Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Wisconsin this year.