Four Massachusetts towns — Douglas, Oxford, Sutton and Webster — have enacted a voluntary evening lockdown in an attempt to curb the spread of a potentially deadly mosquito-borne disease.
The decision comes after the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) confirmed the first human case of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) since 2020 in Worcester County.
Fox News Digital reached out to Oxford Public Schools for comment.
What is Eastern equine encephalitis?
Eastern equine encephalitis is caused by a virus that is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which describes EEE as a “rare but serious disease.”
“Eastern equine encephalitis can cause brain infection (encephalitis), which can be fatal.”
There is currently no vaccine for Eastern equine encephalitis.
For more Health articles, visit foxnews/health Prevention of mosquito bites is the best way to prevent infection, the CDC confirmed.
To stop the spread of a potentially fatal disease carried by mosquitoes, the towns of Douglas, Oxford, Sutton, and Webster in Massachusetts have implemented a voluntary evening lockdown.
The choice was made in response to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s (DPH) confirmation of Worcester County’s first human case of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) since 2020.
The Oxford Board of Health decided on Wednesday to endorse the advice that individuals stay inside after 6:00 p.m. m. , starting now and lasting until Sept. 30, as per a public health advisory that Fox News Digital was provided.
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commencing in October. It is advised to stay inside after 5:00 p.m. m. up until the initial severe frost.
According to the notice, “peak mosquito hours” are from dusk until dawn.
According to the advisory, all four communities are considered “critical-risk.”. ****.
“We strongly encourage residents to follow these recommendations due to the severity of EEE and the fact that it is in our community,” an Oxford town spokesperson wrote in an email to Fox News Digital. “It is the Board of Health’s responsibility to protect the public health,” the representative added.
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Although there has only been one human case of EEE in Massachusetts thus far this year, EEE-positive mosquitoes have been found all over the state. “.
A memo from the Oxford town manager dated Wednesday, which Fox News Digital obtained, states that the infected individual is still “hospitalized and courageously battling this virus.”.
According to a town spokesperson, the lockdowns are recommendations only, and residents who disobey them won’t face consequences.
The statement went on, “We want to make our residents aware of the risk and educate them about EEE and the seriousness of the illness.”.
“They will need to provide proof of insurance and sign an indemnity form, though, if they wish to use town fields outside of these suggestions. “. .
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Oxford is collaborating with the other three critical-risk communities, and the spokesperson verified that all four have released these identical recommendations.
“Educators are trying to rearrange and modify their athletic calendars so that practices and matches take place before these nights and on the weekends,” the email stated.
Fox News Digital requested a statement from Oxford Public Schools.
What is equine encephalitis in the East?
As per the U.S., a virus that is transmitted by an infected mosquito bite is the cause of eastern equine encephalitis. s. EEE is classified as a “rare but serious disease” by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “. .
Encephalitis, or brain infection, can be lethal in cases of eastern equine encephalitis. ****.
There are not many cases reported in the U.S. s. annually, with the majority occurring in states along the Eastern or Gulf Coasts, according to the organization’s website.
As per the CDC, humans and other animals that get the virus are deemed “dead-end hosts,” meaning that they are unable to transmit it to mosquitoes that bite them.
Fever, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, stiff necks, convulsions, altered behavior, and sleepiness are typical signs of EEE.
These typically show up five to ten days following a bite.
The illness can be fatal; thirty percent of those who contract it die. The CDC states that it may also result in long-term neurological impairments.
Health officials have warned that a mosquito-borne virus, resembling Zika, has spread throughout Europe.
Edward Liu, MD, head of infectious diseases at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, told Fox News Digital that “eastern equine encephalitis can cause brain infection (encephalitis), which can be fatal.”.
According to Liu, the greatest risk factors for mosquito-borne encephalitis are immunocompromised individuals and the elderly.
Dr. Fox News Digital received confirmation from John Ayers, vice chief of innovation in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at the University of California, San Diego, that EEE is “serious but extraordinarily rare.”. “. .
“Cases remain significantly less common than being struck by lightning without any overt preventive measures,” he stated.
both intervention and therapy.
It is “concerning” that the virus is present in the local mosquito population and that one patient in Massachusetts has contracted the infection, according to Liu.
“Evening lockdowns might be protective, but there are other options as well, like spreading awareness of the danger, promoting the use of repellent, and spraying to reduce mosquito populations,” he suggested.
As stated by Ayers, “I don’t believe there is anything you can do to significantly reduce your personal risk of illness, as it is already very low. “. .
The only available treatment for these viral encephalitides is supportive care and prevention. ****.
He acknowledges that killing mosquitoes, minimizing places with standing water where they can breed, and using insecticides to kill their larvae are common approaches to controlling diseases spread by mosquitoes.
Liu stated, “The only treatment for these viral encephalitides is prevention; there is no known cure.”.
Eastern equine encephalitis is not currently protected against by a vaccine.
Please visit foxnews/health for additional articles on health.
The greatest method of preventing infection is to avoid mosquito bites, according to the CDC.
For further information, Fox News Digital contacted the CDC.
