A New Hampshire father is at risk of contracting three different viruses after a single mosquito bite.
Joe Casey, 54, has been on a ventilator in intensive care since early August when he tested positive for three mosquito-borne viruses — Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), St. Louis Encephalitis and West Nile virus — according to a fundraising effort by his family.
But doctors are still not sure which of the three causes has left the Kensington-based father with severe brain swelling that leaves him barely able to communicate with his wife, Kim, and their four children.
“He's my brother and it's mosquito-borne so it's very distressing,” his sister-in-law Angela Barker said. He told WBZ-TV With tears in my eyes.
“He has tested positive for EEE, West Nile encephalitis and St. Louis encephalitis, but the CDC and infectious disease specialists are not sure which is causing his illness,” she said.
“He just got bitten by a mosquito. It can happen to anyone.”
According to his family, Casey is in intensive care and receives around-the-clock treatment on a ventilator and has had a tracheotomy.
“My brother-in-law is not a small man and it is horrifying and heartbreaking to see a loved one as ill as he is, unable to speak, move or communicate for over three weeks,” Barker added.
“Joe will need to undergo long-term care and patient rehabilitation which will be 24-hour care and we really want to get the word out to help this amazing family,” Ms Barker said.
EEE is a rare but serious and potentially fatal disease transmitted from horses to humans by mosquitoes, killing approximately 30% of infected individuals. Survivors usually suffer from persistent neurological symptoms, According to the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionComa and seizures may also occur.
According to the CDC, West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the United States. In 2024, there were 377 human cases in 38 states. According to the station.
The CDC warns that while people infected with St. Louis encephalitis often do not show any symptoms, some may experience symptoms such as fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue.
According to the CDC, there are no medicines or vaccines to treat any of these three diseases.
According to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Casey's hometown of Kensington has had at least one swarm of mosquitoes that have tested positive for EEE. The city has sent warning postcards to residents and raised the risk level to high.
Last week, another New Hampshire man, 41-year-old Steven Perry, died after contracting EEE.
Perry, who lives in Hampstead, is the state's first case of the virus in 10 years, state officials said.
According to the CDC, there are typically about 11 cases of eastern equine encephalitis in the United States each year.
