Mosquito-borne virus prompts public health restrictions in Massachusetts — and a backlash

Local officials in Massachusetts have issued warnings about mosquitoes that can transmit eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). In one case, they have imposed restrictions on the use of public fields at night, prompting negative reactions from some residents.

Public health experts and others worry that these types of mosquito-borne viruses will become more common in the United States because of the climate crisis.

Some Massachusetts residents are particularly concerned about a potential repeat of restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as limits on outdoor youth sports, which were also put in place during the 2019 EEE outbreak.

“This fall is so important because we are coming out of the Covid restrictions and not everyone can play and participate, and we finally feel safe enough to be together in large groups of people,” said Jennifer Voas, an Oxford, Massachusetts resident and mother of two who started a petition and urges local health departments not to impose certain restrictions.

“It was really important that we were able to work with the city to ensure the safety of all of our participants, spectators and parents, while also trying to maintain a season.”

EEE is a rare virus that spreads to humans through mosquito bites. In the United States, the virus is more common in eastern and Gulf Coast states, but only a few cases are reported each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

About 30% of people who contract the virus die, and survivors often suffer from persistent neurological problems. There are no vaccines for mosquito-borne viruses, so the best way to protect yourself is to avoid bites.

“We don’t have vaccines for humans against these viruses and we basically rely on vector control, watching mosquitoes, applying insecticides and telling people not to go outside after dark and to wear DEET, but it’s not a perfect solution,” said Dr. Arthur Reingold, a professor of epidemiology at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health.

There were 12 human cases of EEE in Massachusetts and six deaths in 2019. Oxford officials responded to the outbreak by cancellation of all outdoor activities on municipal property from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., the time when mosquitoes are most active. Freetown, another Massachusetts city, also closed public spaces from dusk to dawn, according to CNN.

This year, a number of states, including Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey And Vermont have reported cases of EEE. On Tuesday, the New Hampshire Department of Public Health reported that an adult hospitalized with the virus had died.

A family member of a person believed to have EEE in Massachusetts contacted the city of Oxford to share his identity — since he was well-known locally — over concerns “that people might not take it as seriously as they should,” said Jennifer Callahan, Oxford’s city manager. (That person is out of the critical stage of the infection but has “a long road to recovery,” she said.)

Voas, who lived in Oxford for nine years, set up the petition in protest at rumours of restrictions ahead of a health board meeting on 21 August.

“This is not a safety issue, as EEE can be contained to a safe level. This is about our ability to continue playing on the fields,” Voas wrote in the petition, which has garnered nearly 900 signatures.

Callahan, the city manager, then issued a public letter to inform residents that the Health Board is considering restricting access to outdoor recreation facilities and requiring private leagues to file a waiver form and proof of “adequate insurance” if they continue to use public lands and fail to follow the Health Department’s recommendations.

More than 70 people attended the August 21 board meeting to voice their concerns about possible restrictions. The local government eventually approved a measure requiring leagues to sign the declaration to use the fields after 6 p.m.

The health departments in Oxford and three surrounding towns also an opinion was issued We advise residents to wear insect repellent, long sleeves and long trousers and to stop outdoor activities before 6pm until 30 September and before 5pm from 1 October.

According to Voas, the local leagues wanted to be able to use the fields until 30 minutes before sunset. At this time of year, that would mean closing the fields around 7:30 p.m.

The extra time is important because families have work and school and training often doesn’t start until 5:30 or 5:45 p.m., she added.

“It’s just not feasible. It would ruin our season,” said Voas, whose son plays soccer.

The leagues are negotiating with local government to revise the release form to ensure it is “fair to all parties,” Voas said. In the meantime, teams will continue to train until 7:30 p.m.

Callahan said the city is just trying to educate people about the threat the virus poses, urging them to “take the best precautions they can” and make sure they have filed the proper paperwork.

“Nobody ever said we were banning anything, something“And we’re not imposing a curfew on anyone,” Callahan said.

Voas said that some people were very angry during the public meeting and online, but that she thinks the health council has good intentions.

“You don’t want anyone to get this. This is a very deadly disease,” she said.

Both youth sports leaders and health officials are now considering what the future might hold for outdoor events if mosquito-borne viruses become more common. The climate crisis and higher temperatures could “accelerate mosquito development, the rate of biting and the incubation of disease in a mosquito,” the Environmental Protection Agency Reports.

“The entire infectious disease community has been thinking about this,” said William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “This summer’s event is obviously a bit of a surprise, but I think many of my colleagues and I are probably saying, ‘Aha, here it comes.'”

Despite that threat, Reingold, the Berkeley epidemiologist, said it would be difficult to develop and deploy a vaccine because the diseases remain rare, so conducting a trial to see if they’re effective would be tough. Plus, some people still have concerns about vaccine safety in the wake of the pandemic, so it’s not clear how many of them would get a vaccine.

According to Reingold, relying on pesticides and mosquito control in the United States is “probably a pretty reasonable strategy.”

Local league leaders have begun discussing the changes they need to make, including the possible moving of some sports indoors.

“I don’t think this is going to go away,” Voas said. “We’re not angry; we’re not here with pitchforks and axes. We’re just people trying to do what’s best for our community and our kids at the end of the day.”