A Vermont man has died from eastern equine encephalitis, a rare, mosquito-borne disease that has been detected in the state at unusually high rates this year. The man, whom the health department identified as a Chittenden County resident in his seventies, is the first Vermonter to die from the virus in 12 years. He was hospitalized in August and died in September. His infection was confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week, the Vermont Department of Health announced Thursday. [content-2] Eastern equine encephalitis rarely causes symptoms, which typically present as a flu-like illness. But a small number of people who get infected with EEE from a mosquito bite — about 5 percent, health officials said — develop life-threatening brain inflammation. Fewer than 20 human cases of EEE have been confirmed nationwide in 2024, according to the CDC. The cases have been most prevalent in New England states and includes two deaths from the virus in New Hampshire. The death announced Thursday marks the second confirmed human infection in the state this year. The first person, also in Chittenden County, recovered from the virus. [content-1] Cooler fall weather has made mosquitos less active in recent weeks. The prevalence of EEE in mosquitoes also appears to be have been waning since an August peak, state surveillance testing shows. Nonetheless, the health department still urged residents of "high-risk" communities — Alburgh, Burlington, Colchester, Salisbury, Sudbury, Swanton and Whiting — to limit outdoor activity at night until the first hard frost. Some towns and organizations have canceled events to try and prevent infections…