How many and where have human disease cases occurred?
A. From 1964 to 2004, there have been 220 confirmed cases of human EEE in the United States, averaging 5 cases per year (with a range from 0-15 cases). The states with the traditionally largest number of cases are Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. In 2005, there were 20 human cases of EEE in the United States. New Hampshire had the most with seven cases (six more than the previous year), two of which died. Florida had five, Massachusetts four, Alabama two, and South Carolina and Georgia one each. There have been NO human EEE cases identified in Maine to date. The EEE transmission cycle between birds and bird-feeding mosquitoes is most common in coastal areas and freshwater swamps. Human cases occur relatively infrequently, largely because the primary transmission cycle takes place in swampy areas where human populations tend to be limited.
