COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) announced today that the state has experienced its first confirmed death caused by infection with eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus in more than 20 years. This is the first human case of EEE virus to be reported in South Carolina since 2020, and the first fatality from the virus in the state since 2003. “Sadly, a person from Beaufort County has died from an infection of eastern equine encephalitis virus,” said Dr. Edward Simmer, interim DPH director. DPH doesn’t perform mosquito control — the agency’s role is to provide information that helps individuals, communities and local mosquito control programs take actions to reduce mosquito populations to protect people and animals from mosquito-borne diseases. Beaufort County Mosquito Control performed multiple spraying applications for mosquitoes by truck in the general area of the human case since the reported illness onset date.