Massachusetts towns battles rare eastern equine encephalitis mosquito virus

A uncommon however lethal illness unfold by mosquitoes has one city in Massachusetts closing its parks and fields every night. 4 different cities are urging folks to keep away from going outside at evening.

They’re involved about japanese equine encephalitis. State well being officers introduced final week a person in his 80s had caught the illness, the primary human case present in Massachusetts since 2020.

The city of Plymouth, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southeast of Boston, introduced Friday that it’s closing public out of doors recreation amenities from nightfall till daybreak every day after a horse within the city was contaminated with the illness.

In the meantime, state well being officers warned {that a} cluster of 4 cities south of Worcester — Douglas, Oxford, Sutton and Webster — are at “vital threat” after a person from Oxford caught the virus.

State and native well being officers urged folks in these cities to keep away from the height mosquito biting occasions by ending out of doors actions by 6 p.m. till Sept. 30 after which by 5 p.m. after that, till the primary laborious frost.

Additionally they suggest that individuals throughout Massachusetts use mosquito repellents when outside and drain any standing water round their houses.

Jennifer Callahan, Oxford’s city supervisor, wrote in a memo that the household of the person who caught the virus in mid August had reached out to her workplace.

“They need folks to remember that is a particularly severe illness with horrible bodily and emotional penalties, regardless if the individual manages to stay,” Callahan wrote.

She stated the contaminated individual had typically recounted to his household how he by no means acquired bitten by mosquitoes. However simply earlier than he grew to become symptomatic, he advised them he had been bitten. She stated the person stays hospitalized and is “courageously battling” the virus.

Callahan stated the household is urging folks to take the general public well being recommendation significantly and to do their utmost to guard themselves

The presence of the virus in Massachusetts this 12 months was confirmed final month in a mosquito pattern, and has been present in different mosquitoes throughout the state since then. In a 2019 outbreak, there have been six deaths amongst 12 confirmed instances in Massachusetts. The outbreak continued the next 12 months with 5 extra instances and one other loss of life.

There are not any vaccines or therapy for EEE.

The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention says that though uncommon, EEE could be very severe and about 30% of people that grow to be contaminated die.

Signs of EEE embrace:

• Fever
• Headache
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Seizures

Individuals who survive are sometimes completely disabled, and few fully recuperate, Massachusetts authorities say. The illness is prevalent in birds, and though people and another mammals can catch EEE, they don’t unfold the illness.

The CDC says only some instances of EEE are reported within the U.S. every year, with most infections discovered within the japanese and Gulf Coast states.