FIVE ON YOUR HELP. NOW, AS WE'VE BEEN REPORTING, THE FIRST HUMAN CASE OF TRIPOLI, NOW IDENTIFIED IN MASSACHUSETTS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FOUR YEARS, THE PATIENT IS A MAN IN HIS 80S WHO WAS EXPOSED TO THE MOSQUITO BORNE ILLNESS IN WORCESTER COUNTY. AND NOW WE'RE LEARNING HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE RAISING THE RISK OF INFECTION TO CRITICAL. IN DOUGLAS OXFORD SUTTON AND WEBSTER HERE WITH ADVICE IS DOCTOR SIMONE WILDES, AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST AT SOUTH SHORE HEALTH. GOOD TO SEE YOU, DOCTOR. HEY, DOCTOR, IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE YOU. QUESTION ONE. AS YOU KNOW, THE THE CASES AREN'T RARE BECAUSE IT'S JESSICA SAID WHAT, THE FIRST TIME IN FOUR YEARS FOR A HUMAN. BUT BUT THEY ARE OFTEN DEADLY. SO WHO IS MOST AT RISK? WELL, ED, AS YOU SAID, RARE. SO WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT NO ONE GETS TOO ALARMED. BUT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE AT RISK ARE THOSE THAT WORK AND DO ACTIVITIES OUTDOORS IN AREAS ESPECIALLY WHERE IT'S ENDEMIC AND THOSE THAT ARE OVER AGE 50 AND LESS THAN 15. OF COURSE, IF YOU'RE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED, THAT EVEN PUTS YOU AT GREATER RISK. RIGHT. LET'S TALK ABOUT SYMPTOMS. YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? IF YOU ARE DIAGNOSED WITH THAT. WELL, YOU KNOW, JESSICA, WHAT WE DO FIND IS THAT PATIENTS THAT HAVE TRIPLE E, THEY HAVE FEVERS, THEY HAVE CHILLS, THEY COMPLAIN OF HEADACHE AND JOINT PAINS. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SEE IS THAT SOMETIMES THEY'RE A LITTLE CONFUSED OR DISORIENTED. SOMETIMES THEY CAN HAVE SEIZURES. SO NEUROLOGICALLY WE SEE SOME CHANGES THERE. SO DOCTOR WELLS, I WANT TO GO THROUGH THE TOWNS AGAIN BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THOSE TOWNS MIGHT YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEIR ANTENNA MIGHT BE UP IF YOU LIVE IN ONE OF THESE TOWNS, DOUGLAS, OXFORD, SUTTON, WEBSTER. SO IF YOU LIVE IN ONE OF THOSE, ONE OF THOSE TOWNS, WHAT SHOULD WHAT SHOULD YOU BE? WHAT SHOULD YOU LOOK AT? WHAT DO YOU WHAT ARE YOU AWARE OF? WHAT ARE THE SIGNALS? YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S IT'S WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF? I THINK IS A BETTER QUESTION. SO I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT INDIVIDUALS THAT LIVE IN THESE AREAS WHERE THERE'S THE CASE IS YOU'RE GOING TO PROTECT YOURSELF BY USING INSECT REPELLENT. YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE OUT AT DUSK OR DAWN, THAT YOU PUT INSECT REPELLENT ON, RIGHT. IT'S ALSO REALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU WEAR LONG SLEEVE SHIRT AND PANTS WHEN YOU'RE OUTDOORS. AND NOT THAT WE WANT TO CURTAIL OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, BUT MINIMIZE IT, ESPECIALLY IN THESE AREAS. OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES LATE AT NIGHT BEBECAUSE THAT'S WHEN THE MOSQUITOES ARE KEY. THING IS, THERE'S NO VACCINES OR TREATMENT FOR TRIPLE E, SO PREVENTION IS REALLY VERY CRITICAL. SO THOSE IN THOSE AREAS MAKE SURE YOU DO ALL THE STEPS YOU CAN TO PROTECT YOURSELF. DOCTOR WELLS I UNDERSTAND ALL THOSE STEPS. AND THANKS FOR REVIEWING THEM. BUT WHEN IT'S 90 DEGREES OUTSIDE YOU DON'T WANT TO WEAR LONG SLEEVES AND LONG PANTS AND COVER YOUR HEAD, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? IT'S JUST IT'S TOO HOT. I KNOW IT IS. AND. BUT YOU WANT TO PROTECT YOURSELF. YOU DON'T