The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention has detected a locally acquired case of the eastern equine encephalitis virus in a Maine resident for the first time this year.

The resident began suffering severe symptoms late last month and is still hospitalized, the agency announced Tuesday.

Severe symptoms of the virus can include brain swelling and inflammation of the spinal cord, the Maine CDC said, and more minor symptoms are flu-like, such as fevers, body aches and headaches.

“Particularly with heavy rains, the risk of mosquito-borne disease across the state is high,” Tuesday’s announcement states. “For Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset and Waldo Counties, the risk for EEE is considered severe given evidence of virus prevalence and the ideal habitat for the types of mosquitoes that carry EEE.”

The virus, along with Jamestown Canyon virus and West Nile virus, all spread through mosquito bites and can not be spread from human to human or between humans and animals, the Maine CDC said.

The agency urges residents to take precautions when they expect they may encounter mosquitoes, such as by using repellent, wearing clothing that covers limbs, and generally being aware that mosquitoes are most active between dusk and dawn.

Property owners are also encouraged to drain standing water, which is where mosquitoes lay eggs, and install window screens or repair damaged ones.