A rare but deadly disease spread by mosquitoes has caused one Massachusetts town to close its parks and open spaces every night, while four other towns are urging residents to avoid going out at night.
Officials are concerned about eastern equine encephalitis, after state health officials announced last week that a man in his 80s had contracted the disease, the first confirmed human case in Massachusetts since 2020.
The city of Plymouth, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southeast of Boston, announced Friday that it would close public outdoor recreational facilities from dusk to dawn each day after horses in the city were infected with the disease.
Meanwhile, state health officials have warned that a cluster in four towns south of Worcester – Douglas, Oxford, Sutton and Webster – is at “significant risk” after a man in Oxford was infected with the virus.
State and local health officials have urged residents in those towns to avoid peak mosquito biting periods by ending outdoor activities by 6 p.m. through September 30, and 5 p.m. thereafter until the first hard frost.
Residents across Massachusetts are also encouraged to use mosquito repellent when outdoors and to drain standing water around their homes.
Oxford Mayor Jennifer Callahan wrote in a memo that the family of a man with the virus contacted her office in mid-August.
“They want people to know that this is an extremely serious disease with terrible physical and psychological effects, whether or not the patient survives,” Callahan wrote.
She said the infected man had repeatedly told his family he had never been bitten by a mosquito, but just before he began showing symptoms he told them he had. He remains in hospital and is “fighting bravely” against the virus.
Ms Callahan said her family was urging people to take public health advice seriously and do all they can to protect themselves.
The virus’ presence in Massachusetts this year Checked last month The virus was detected in mosquito samples and has since been found in other mosquitoes across the state. An outbreak in 2019 resulted in six deaths out of 12 confirmed cases in Massachusetts. The outbreak continued the following year, with five more cases and one death reported.
There is no vaccine or treatment for EEE.
Although rare, EEE is very serious and causes death in about 30 percent of those who become infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhea and seizures.
Massachusetts officials say that those who survive are often left with permanent disabilities, and few ever fully recover. The disease is more prevalent in birds, and humans and other mammals can also become infected with EEE, but they do not spread it.
According to the CDC, only a few cases of EEE are reported each year in the United States, with most infections occurring in the eastern and Gulf Coast states.
