COLDWATER – Area health officials say Southwest Michigan residents still need to be cautious due to the threat of Eastern Equine Encephalitis.

Rebecca Burns, Health Officer with the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency says although the temperatures have cooled off over the last week, it is still too early to say the chance of EEE transmission is done for the year.

Burns presented a report to the Board of Health on Thursday. She says some hard frosts are still needed to completely kill off the mosquitoes. Burns also says the CHA was notified that two more horses in St. Joseph County have been diagnosed with EEE.

So far, there have been five human deaths from EEE in the State, according to the Michigan Department Of Health And Human Services. That brings the State's mortality rate to 50 percent for the year.