Map shows areas where deadly mosquito-borne virus could spread as Massachusetts residents urged to stay indoors at night
More than half of the state of Massachusetts is at high or critical risk of a deadly mosquito-borne virus.
Alerts have been issued in ten of the state’s fourteen counties for an increased presence of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), also known as ‘Triple E’.
A curfew in Oxford County — home to 13,300 people about 50 miles from Boston — was approved last week after a resident became the first person to contract the incurable disease in the state in four years. The 80-year-old is hospitalized in critical condition with EEE.
The city of Plymouth, population 60,800 and about 40 miles (64 kilometers) from Boston, will now close its outdoor recreation areas from dusk to dawn every day after a horse in the city tested positive for the virus.
The curfews and closures come amid heightened fears about mosquito-borne diseases, including a six-day hospital stay this month by Dr. Anthony Fauci after contracting the potentially deadly West Nile virus.
Authorities hope the rules will keep people indoors during peak mosquito hours and reduce their risk of contracting infected insects.
Triple E causes fever and swelling of the brain and can lead to seizures and comas.
One third of people infected with EEE die, and those who recover often have physical and mental problems for the rest of their lives.
The city of Plymouth announced On Friday, all public parks and fields would be closed from sunset (around 8pm) to sunrise (around 5.30am).
Officials said the curfew is “in response to the HIGH risk status” of EEE in Plymouth.
‘Athletics clubs and other organizations that use public parks and sports fields are not allowed to continue their outdoor activities after sunset.’
Although the EEE-positive horse has earned the high status, EEE-infected mosquitoes have also been identified in Plymouth, Barnstable, and Essex counties.
The Plymouth County Mosquito Control Project is continuously spraying requested neighborhoods and will be spraying all public parks, fields and schools this week.
The curfew in Oxford County is only a recommendation, not a rule.
But the local school district is going to enforce this, meaning after-school programs and sports activities may be canceled, ended early or moved indoors — something many parents, students and athletes object to.
Nearly 1,000 Oxford residents have signed an online petition calling for sports fields to remain open.
The state Department of Public Health announced over the weekend that it plans to conduct aerial mosquito control efforts in Plymouth and Worcester counties after 10 Massachusetts communities were designated as high or critical risk for EEE.
According to the CDC, EEE symptoms typically begin within four to 10 days after you are bitten by an infected mosquito.
Most people who become infected do not show symptoms, but those who develop severe cases experience fever, chills, muscle aches and joint pain.
In mild cases, recovery takes about one to two weeks, and people likely recover completely if the infection does not affect the central nervous system, the CDC said.
However, people with severe cases may develop meningitis (swelling of the brain and spinal cord) or encephalitis (swelling of the brain).
These symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, behavioral changes, drowsiness, and even coma.
There is no specific treatment for EEE, but doctors provide supportive care to manage symptoms, such as pain relievers and hydrating fluids.
For the approximately 33 percent of people with EEE who die, death typically occurs two to 10 days after the onset of symptoms.
People who survive are left with brain damage and permanent disabilities that require long-term care. They can die within a few years of recovering from the initial infection, the CDC added.
In the U.S., only a handful of cases of EEE are reported each year. These cases usually occur in eastern or Gulf Coast states.
So far in 2024, two additional human cases of EEE have been reported in two other states – Vermont and New Jersey – and all three US patients have developed severe neuroinvasive cases.
In 2019, a record number of 38 cases were reported.
Experts fear that rising temperatures, humidity and rainfall could lead to an increase in the virus.
The virus is only transmitted from mosquito to human (and horse). There is no transmission from human to human or animal to human.
To protect yourself from EEE, a public health advisory from the City of Oxford advises the following: wear long sleeves and trousers, avoid stagnant water and collecting water as this provides a breeding ground for mosquitoes, use insect repellent and avoid peak mosquito hours from dusk to dawn.