A New Hampshire resident infected with the mosquito-borne Eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus has died, state health officials said.

The Hampstead resident’s infection is the first in the state in 10 years, the New Hampshire Department of Health said Tuesday. The resident, whom the department identified only as an adult, was hospitalized for severe central nervous system symptoms, the department said.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Maine also warns about the presence of electrical and electronic equipment and the West Nile virus. Both mosquito-borne viruses have been detected in animals in Maine.

A wild turkey in Waldo County and two emus in Penobscot County tested positive for EEE, indicating that the virus is circulating in mosquito populations and may pose a threat to human health.

West Nile virus has been detected in 15 birds in ten counties in the state of Maine.

Although no human cases of EEE have been reported this summer, the CDC in the state of Maine has advised medical personnel to test patients with flu-like symptoms, encephalitis, meningitis or high fever for the viruses.

About a third of people who develop encephalitis from the EEE virus die from the infection, and survivors can suffer lifelong mental and physical disabilities. There is no vaccine or antiviral treatment for the infection, which causes flu-like symptoms and can lead to severe neurological disease and inflammation of the brain and the membranes surrounding the spinal cord.

“If it causes an infection, it’s very, very serious. Even though it’s a very rare infection, we don’t have a treatment for it,” said Dr. Richard Ellison, an immunologist and infectious disease specialist at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center. “If someone contracts it, it’s just – all we can do is provide supportive care, and it can kill people.”

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are about 11 human cases of Eastern equine encephalomyelitis each year in the United States. Two of the three people infected in New Hampshire in 2014 died.

The health department said the virus was also detected in a horse and several mosquitoes in New Hampshire this summer. Mosquitoes carrying the virus can sometimes be found in former wetlands that have been converted but where they still find habitat, Ellison said.

Health officials in states where mosquito-borne infections are prevalent urge people to take precautions and prevent mosquito bites by using mosquito repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants, and avoiding outdoor activities in the early morning and evening when mosquitoes are most active. It is also important to remove standing water where mosquitoes breed.

“Given the positive mosquito samples, we believe there is an increased risk of EEEV infection in New England this year. The risk will persist into the fall until a hard freeze arrives to kill the mosquitoes. Everyone should take steps to avoid mosquito bites when outdoors,” said New Hampshire epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan.

In Massachusetts, several towns have urged residents to stay away from the outdoors at night this summer due to concerns about EEE, one of several diseases that can be transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. Massachusetts authorities planned to begin spraying mosquito repellent in some communities on Tuesday to prevent the spread.

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