BOSTON (AP) – State health officials warned people to take precautions against mosquito bites after four horses in Massachusetts contracted a serious, often fatal illness that mosquitos can also spread to humans.

Eastern equine encephalitis was found in two horses in North Dartmouth, one in Rehoboth and another Brimfield, the Standard-Times of New Bedford reported.

State officials said they’re the first cases of Eastern equine encephalitis in Massachusetts in years.

In North Dartmouth, one horse was euthanized and another is also dead from unknown causes, said Wendy Henderson, the town’s director of public health. No information was available about the other horses.

State health officials said the mild weather has brought out more insects, but a frost will soon end the mosquito season.

The resurfacing of Eastern equine encephalitis could spell trouble for next year, said Ralph Timpieri, director of the state health department’s Laboratory Institute. He said horse owners have not kept up with vaccinations, which led to the recent cases.

Health officials said horses should be vaccinated or given booster shots if they haven’t been inoculated in the last year, the Standard-Times reported. Officials urged people to avoid outdoor activities between dusk and dawn, wear long-sleeved shirts and pants and use repellents that contain DEET.

Eastern equine encephalitis has a high mortality rate in humans, according to the state Department of Public Health. Survivors often have severe neurological damage.

Timpieri said only eight human cases have been identified in the state since 1990, but every 10 to 20 years there a jump in cases, especially in southeastern Massachusetts.

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