Eastern equine encephalitis virus is a rare disease that is transmitted by various species of mosquitoes. Experts say that while cases are few and far between, and most people who contract the diseases are asymptomatic, the most severe cases can prove fatal.

The rare and deadly mosquito-borne illness known as Eastern equine encephalitis was identified in New York for the first time in over a decade last week and the person who contracted it has since died from the virus, the state’s governor announced Monday, making them the second person to die from the infection this season.