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Cities in Massachusetts are on high alert ahead of Labor Day weekend due to Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis, a deadly mosquito-borne virus.
Worcester County residents were placed in the “critical risk” level by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health this week after a man in his 80s became infected there earlier this month. The department declined to release further details about the case for privacy reasons.
Three cases of Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis have been confirmed on the East Coast. There were seven cases last year, and the majority of all cases in the last 20 years have been recorded on the East Coast.
The virus is rare but incredibly dangerous. It is transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes and about 30 percent of those infected die. Survivors often have neurological problems. There are no vaccines or drugs to treat or prevent the disease.
On Tuesday, the New Hampshire Department of Health announced that an adult resident of Hampstead had died after testing positive for Eastern equine encephalomyelitis. The patient was hospitalized for severe central nervous system disease. The last reported infection of Eastern equine encephalomyelitis in the state was 10 years ago.
In neighboring Massachusetts, the cities of Douglas, Oxford, Sutton and Webster were classified as “critical,” and Dudley, Northbridge, Uxbridge, Boston, Abington, Brockton, East Bridgewater, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester and Whitman had the “high” risk level.
Last Wednesday, Oxford adopted a controversial voluntary curfew that will force people to stay indoors from 6pm until September 30. From the first day of October, the recommended curfew will be from 5pm until the first hard frost. The measures are designed to help people avoid the peak mosquito plague times between dusk and dawn.
People have also been advised to take precautions, including applying insect repellent, wearing protective clothing and draining standing water where mosquitoes usually lay their eggs. Insect repellents containing DEET, permithrin, picaridin, IR3535 or lemon or eucalyptus oil are effective against mosquitoes but must be checked for safety before use on children.
But some rResidents in Oxford weWe are confused that these recommendations differ from those of state health officials. The state health department advised people in high-risk areas to delay outdoor activities until the evening or early morning hours.
Individual groups also shared their precautionary measures.
The Oxford City Little League baseball team asked its players to wear long-sleeved shirts under their jerseys and encouraged teams and spectators to spray themselves with mosquito repellent, a Facebook post said. Players who chose to opt out of the season would receive a refund, the post added.
In a separate Facebook post, the city of Oxford said private sports leagues are not prohibited from using the city’s playing fields, but any organization that wants to play outside after curfew must contact the city’s recreation commission.
In the city of Plymouth, just over an hour away, public parks and fields have been closed from dusk to dawn since last Friday, and youth leagues and other clubs are prohibited from continuing their outdoor activities after dark.
Last week, trucks were used to spray pesticides in some Plymouth County neighborhoods. Health officials said the pesticide used is an insecticide called Anvil 10+10, which is applied with an ultra-low-volume sprayer.
The health risks from the insecticide are low and the agency said it is unlikely that anyone would be exposed to a level that could cause adverse health effects. People with chemical sensitivities and respiratory illnesses were asked to stay in their homes.
Spraying was scheduled to continue at dusk Tuesday in several Massachusetts counties. Aerial spraying will be done by two small planes in Plymouth County, and ground spraying will be done in southern Worcester County. Crops will be sprayed by truck in the southern Worcester County towns of Northbridge and Webster.
Although Massachusetts says the spraying measures are necessary to reduce the risk of the virus to humans, the sprays will not eliminate the virus.
