Overview

• State health officials said Friday that a Beaufort County resident died from eastern equine encephalitis, the first human case reported in South Carolina since 2020.
• Beaufort County Mosquito Control has conducted multiple truck sprayings with helicopter applications planned to increase coverage.
• The county is setting additional traps for virus testing, with ongoing surveillance supported by SCDPH, the CDC, and Clemson University's Veterinary Diagnostic Center.
• Authorities report no EEE-positive mosquitoes near the case site so far in 2025, though ten infected horses were confirmed across six counties between mid-July and August.
• EEE spreads through infected mosquito bites, carries high fatality in severe cases, lacks a human vaccine or specific treatment, and officials advise EPA-registered repellents, protective clothing, and the '7 Ts' to reduce breeding.