EAU CLAIRE, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Although the colder temperatures has ended the threat of contracting Eastern Equine Encephalitis, a Berrien County man who was battling the rare-mosquito borne illness for several months has now died.
Officials with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services say this is now the 6th death out of the 10 human cases of EEE in Michigan.
Gillian Conrad with the Berrien County Health Department says even though winter is on its way, they will continue monitoring all diseases spread by mosquitoes including EEE and the West Nile Virus.
The victim, identified as a farmer from Eau Claire, contracted the deadly virus late in the summer.
According to the MDHHS, more than 557,000 acres of land was treated with the insecticide to kill of the mosquitoes over the summer.