Mosquitoes, once a nuisance, are now a threat.” The virus, which is contracted through the bite of an infected mosquito, has been on the rise across the Northeast, prompting Massachusetts coastal towns to shut down parks and playgrounds to better protect residents amid concerns about the deadliness of the disease.

The New York resident who tested positive for the mosquito-borne EEE virus has died, prompting state health officials to declare an "imminent threat to the public for EEE."