Blitz Bureau
A rare but serious – and potentially lethal – mosquito-borne disease has prompted officials to close public parks as well as implement targeted bug spraying in several communities in Massachusetts.
The disease, eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), is a virus that generally spreads to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It can affect people of all ages, cause severe illness and possibly lead to death. About 30% of people who become infected die, according to the CDC, and many survivors have ongoing neurologic problems.
Spraying to begin
As of August 25, 13 communities in Massachusetts are designated as being at risk. In an effort to reduce the general risk of infection, state officials will conduct sprayings this week – both by plane and by truck – of a pesticide that controls mosquitoes in the at-risk areas.
“We have not seen an outbreak of EEE for four years in Massachusetts,” the commissioner of the Massachusetts department of public health, Robbie Goldstein, said. Aerial spraying is used where there is a “high risk of human disease”, state officials said. That form of spraying will be taking place this week in towns in Plymouth county – and spraying by truck will occur in areas of southern Worcester county.
In 2020, five human cases were recorded in Massachusetts and one death, officials said. There were 12 human cases of eastern equine encephalitis in Massachusetts and six deaths in 2019.
Spraying might take several nights, beginning at dusk and ending at dawn each day. While spraying is considered necessary to reduce human risk, officials said that it will not eliminate the risk of infection.
No vaccines yet
There are no vaccines to prevent or treat the disease, and experts say the best way to prevent your risk of infection is to prevent being bitten.
