Courtesy CNN —
A town in Massachusetts has taken the precaution of closing its parks and recreational areas at night due to an increased threat from a potentially deadly mosquito-borne virus, according to local officials.
The town of Plymouth, situated roughly 40 miles southeast of Boston, announced these closures on Friday as the risk from the rare but dangerous Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus escalated. This decision was made following a rise in the town's EEE risk level to high, after a recent infection was confirmed in a horse, officials explained in a press release.
EEE is transmitted to humans via mosquito bites and carries a fatality rate of between 33% and 70%. Most deaths occur within two to ten days after symptoms begin, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
"The recent diagnosis of EEE in a horse in Plymouth has elevated the town's risk level to high," the town said in the statement.
On August 16, the state confirmed its first human case of EEE for the year, and the first since 2020. The individual, an 80-year-old man from Worcester County, contracted the virus, prompting health authorities to increase the risk level in nearby areas, according to a release from the state's public health department.
"EEE is a rare but serious disease that poses a significant public health concern," said Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein in the release. "We urge residents to take precautions against mosquito bites, especially in areas where EEE activity has been detected."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that approximately 30% of people who contract EEE die, and many survivors are left with long-term neurological issues. Despite its severity, EEE remains extremely rare, with an average of only 11 human cases reported annually in the United States.
During an outbreak in Massachusetts in 2019 and 2020, the state recorded 17 human cases of EEE, resulting in seven deaths.
Public health authorities, alongside the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, announced on Saturday plans to conduct aerial mosquito spraying in Plymouth County and truck-mounted spraying in parts of Worcester County.
As of Saturday, the EEE risk level was deemed high or critical for ten communities across Massachusetts.
Additionally, at least eight municipalities in the state, including Boston, have been categorized as high-risk for mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus, according to the state health department's Friday update.
On Saturday, a spokesperson for Dr. Anthony Fauci reported that the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases was recovering at home after being hospitalized due to West Nile virus.
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