A fifth person has died in Michigan from Eastern Equine Encephalitis. While the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has not released details other than the victim was a Cass County resident, family members have told WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids he was 72-year-old Henry Hess. He fell ill before the area was sprayed for mosquitoes over the past several weeks. So far, there have been 10 human cases of Triple-E in the state, and half of them have died, with two deaths in Cass County. Typically, health officials say a third of those who contract it will die, and survivors are often left with mental and physical disabilities. This is the worst outbreak of Triple-E in the state in over a decade. Health officials say the number of animals with the disease has risen to 40 with the confirmation of a horse in Allegan County this month, and that animal was showing symptoms before the state sprayed parts of that county on October 3 and 6.
