New York's first person to contract Eastern equine encephalitis -- or EEE -- in almost a decade has died, the governor's office announced Monday as the state declared the virus an "imminent threat to public health.

A New York resident who contracted the first confirmed human case of Eastern equine encephalitis in the state in nearly a decade has died, according to the governor's office.

The rare and deadly mosquito-borne illness known as Eastern equine encephalitis was identified in New York for the first time in over a decade last week and the person who contracted it has since died from the virus, the state’s governor announced Monday, making them the second person to die from the infection this season.

The first person in New York state to be diagnosed with eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in nearly a decade died, Gov. Kathy Hochul's office announced Monday.

Officials reported than an individual has died from EEE, and the state is advising people to stay safe while taking precautions.

EEE was also detected in Windham, New London, Hartford, and Middlesex county mosquitoes. Connecticut’s Department of Public Health said it has been taking the EEE threat serious