The Wisconsin DHS is urging people to protect themselves from mosquito bites after two horses in the state tested positive for a severe illness.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- A person has died in New York state from eastern equine encephalitis, prompting Gov. Kathy Hochul to declare the rare mosquito-borne illness an imminent threat to public health.

Eastern equine encephalitis, often referred to as EEE or Triple E, is a rare, but serious disease, largely found in North America and spread through the bite of an infected mosquito, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.