KILLER BUGS

New Hampshire Man Who Died From Mosquito-Borne Virus Identified

Steven Perry’s family said he had no underlying medical conditions and was in good health overall prior to contracting eastern equine encephalitis.

A New Hampshire man who died from eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), a rare and deadly mosquito-borne virus, has been identified as 41-year-old Steven Perry. According to state health officials, Perry, of Hampstead, was “hospitalized due to severe central nervous system disease.” His family said he had no underlying medical conditions and was in good health overall. His death is the first to be reported from EEE in the United States this year. There have only been 196 EEE cases across the nation in the past two decades. Perry was the fifth person to contract the virus in 2024, with other reported infections in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Several Massachusetts towns have already imposed restrictions on outdoor activities, including a curfew after 6 p.m., after being designated at “high” or “critical” risk of EEE. Approximately one-third of EEE patients die within 10 days after symptoms begin.