Four Massachusetts cities — Douglas, Oxford, Sutton and Webster — have enacted voluntary evening lockdowns in an effort to prevent the spread of a deadly disease. A 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.
According to a public health advisory shared with Fox News Digital, on Wednesday, the Oxford Board of Health voted to support a recommendation that people stay indoors after 6:00 p.m., effective immediately on September 30.
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Beginning October 1, it is recommended to stay indoors after 5:00 PM until the first hard frost.
The period from dusk to dawn is considered “Mosquito peak time,” the notification said.
Four Massachusetts cities — Douglas, Oxford, Sutton and Webster — have enacted voluntary evening lockdowns in an effort to curb the spread of the deadly mosquito-borne disease. (iStock)
The advisory identifies four communities as “critical-risk”.
“It is the responsibility of the health board to protect it Public HealthAnd we take EEE very seriously, and we strongly encourage residents to follow these recommendations given the severity of EEE and its presence in our community,” a City of Oxford spokesperson said in an email to Fox News Digital.
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“So far this year in Massachusetts, only one human has been infected with EEE, but across the state, mosquitoes have tested positive for EEE.”
The infected man, who lives in Oxford, is “hospitalized and courageously fighting this virus,” according to a Wednesday memo from the Oxford city manager provided to Fox News Digital.
The lockdowns are considered recommendations, and there will be no enforcement if residents don’t comply, a city spokeswoman said.
Eastern equine encephalitis is caused by a virus that is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito, according to the CDC, which describes it as a “rare but serious disease.” (Reuters/CDC/James Katani)
“We want to educate our residents about EEE and the seriousness of the disease and make them aware of the risk,” the statement continued.
“However, if they wish to use city fields outside of these recommendations, they must show proof of insurance and sign an indemnity form.”
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Oxford is working with three other critical-risk communities, all four of which offer similar recommendations, a spokeswoman confirmed.
“Schools are functioning “Adjust and adjust their game schedule so practices and games take place earlier in the evenings and on weekends,” the email stated.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Oxford Public Schools for comment.
What is Eastern Equine Encephalitis?
Eastern equine encephalitis Caused by a virus It is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito, according to the US 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.”
Only a few cases are reported in the U.S. each year, mostly in eastern or Gulf Coast states, the agency says on its website.
Humans and other animals infected with the virus are considered “dead-end hosts,” the CDC says, meaning they cannot be transmitted to mosquitoes that bite them.
Elderly and immunocompromised people are at higher risk of mosquito-borne meningitis, an expert said. (iStock)
Common symptoms EEE can include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, stiff neck, seizures, behavioral changes, and insomnia.
These usually appear five to 10 days after the bite.
The disease is fatal, resulting in the death of 30% of those affected. According to the CDC, it can also lead to chronic neurological deficits.
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“Eastern equine encephalitis can cause a brain infection (encephalitis), which can be fatal,” says Edward Liu, MD, chief. Infectious diseases at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Fox News Digital said.
According to Liu, the elderly and immunocompromised are at higher risk for mosquito-borne meningitis.
Experts say preventing mosquito bites is the best way to protect against the disease. (iStock)
Innovator Vice Chair in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at the University of California, San Diego, Dr. John Ayers confirmed on Fox News Digital that EEE is “severe but extraordinarily rare.”
“With no apparent preventative measures, cases are significantly rarer than being struck by lightning,” he said.
Prevention and treatment
The fact that local mosquitoes carry the virus and that a Massachusetts patient is infected is “concerning,” Liu said.
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“While evening lockdowns can be safe, other options include educating the public about the risk, promoting mosquito repellent use, and spraying to prevent the spread of mosquitoes,” he advised.
Ayers added, “I don’t think there’s anything you can do to meaningfully reduce your individual chances of disease, because they are Already very low.”
“There is no cure for these viral encephalitis, so prevention and supportive care are the only measures.”
He agrees that killing mosquitoes, reducing standing water areas where they can nest, and spraying to kill their larvae are common mosquito-killing strategies.
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“There is no cure for these viral encephalitides, so prevention and supportive care are the only measures,” noted Liu.
Currently available No vaccine Eastern horse for encephalitis.
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The CDC has confirmed that preventing mosquito bites is the best way to prevent infection.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the CDC for additional comment.
