CHITTENANGO, N.Y. (NCC News) — A man who contracted eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) has died, according to Madison County officials. 79-year-old George Baker Jr. of Chittenango was hospitalized last week for the virus to which the Public Health Department said then there was no treatment or cure. He was greatly involved in the community and served as chaplain of the Chittenango Fire Department, which he has been a member of for over 50 years.
Baker’s daughter Cassie Crane shared the impact her father had and how he will be remembered with country officials. “Losing him to EEE has been heartbreaking. He was still so active, still running, still helping people, still making time for others. He had strength within him and a way of making everyone feel like they mattered.”
Baker was the first recorded human case of EEE in Madison County, and Crane noted that he contracted the virus even after the town heavily sprayed areas to combat them. According to the CDC, contracting eastern equine encephalitis is incredibly rare and is spread through the bite of infected mosquitoes. Approximately 30 percent of people who develop severe EEE die, and many survivors have ongoing neurologic problems. Symptoms of eastern equine encephalitis can include fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, behavioral changes, and drowsiness. On average, 11 human cases of EE are reported in the U.S. annually.