{"id":2330625,"date":"2024-08-25T13:03:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-25T17:03:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-rare-but-deadly-mosquito-virus-infection-has-massachusetts-towns-urging-vigilance-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-25T13:09:14","modified_gmt":"2024-08-25T17:09:14","slug":"a-rare-but-deadly-mosquito-virus-infection-has-massachusetts-towns-urging-vigilance-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-rare-but-deadly-mosquito-virus-infection-has-massachusetts-towns-urging-vigilance-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"A rare but deadly mosquito virus infection has Massachusetts towns urging vigilance &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fa-rare-but-deadly-mosquito-virus-infection-has-massachusetts-towns-urging-vigilance-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2330625&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In Massachusetts, concerns have arisen over a rare and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/orange-county-reports-first-human-west-nile-virus-case-of-the-year\/\" title=\"First human West Nile Virus case reported in Orange County this year.\">deadly mosquito-borne disease<\/a> known as eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), prompting towns to enact preventive measures. A man in his \u200d80s was reported as the first\u2064 human case of EEE in\u2064 the state since \u20622020, leading \u200cthe town of Plymouth to close its parks and fields from dusk\u2063 until dawn. Additionally, four \u2063towns\u2014Douglas, \u2063Oxford, Sutton, \u200band Webster\u2014are \u2062under a\u2062 &#8220;critical risk&#8221; warning due to the virus. Health officials advise\u2062 residents to avoid \u200boutdoor\u200c activities during peak mosquito hours, recommended to\u2063 finish by\u200b 6 p.m.\u2062 until the end of September, and to use mosquito repellents \u200cwhile <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dengue-virus-case-found-in-california\/\" title=\"Dengue virus detected in California.\">eliminating standing water<\/a> around homes. Affected\u200d individuals, \u200dincluding the\u2062 hospitalized man, are emphasized by local \u200bofficials as cases that \u200ccarry significant \u2064health risks, prompting \u200cfamilies to raise awareness about \u2063the seriousness\u200d of the virus.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">A rare but deadly mosquito virus infection has Massachusetts towns urging vigilance<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1737034\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A rare but deadly disease spread by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/insects\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>mosquitoes<\/a> has one town in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Massachusetts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Massachusetts<\/a> closing its parks and fields each evening. Four other towns are urging people to avoid going outdoors at night.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>They&rsquo;re concerned about eastern equine encephalitis. State health officials announced last week a man in his 80s had caught the disease, the first human case found in Massachusetts since 2020.<\/p>\n<p>The town of Plymouth, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southeast of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Boston\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Boston<\/a>, announced Friday that it&rsquo;s closing public outdoor recreation facilities from dusk until dawn each day after a horse in the town was infected with the disease.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, state health officials warned that a cluster of four towns south of Worcester &mdash; Douglas, Oxford, Sutton and Webster &mdash; are at &ldquo;critical risk&rdquo; after a man from Oxford caught the virus.<\/p>\n<p>State and local health officials urged people in those towns to avoid the peak mosquito biting times by finishing outdoor activities by 6 p.m. until Sept. 30 and then by 5 p.m. after that, until the first hard frost.<\/p>\n<p>They also recommend that people across Massachusetts use mosquito repellents when outdoors and drain any standing water around their homes.<\/p>\n<p>Jennifer Callahan, Oxford&rsquo;s town manager, wrote in a memo that the family of the man who caught the virus in mid August had reached out to her office.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;They want people to be aware this is an extremely serious disease with terrible physical and emotional consequences, regardless if the person manages to live,&rdquo; Callahan wrote.<\/p>\n<p>She said the infected person had often recounted to his family how he never got bitten by mosquitoes. But just before he became symptomatic, he told them he had been bitten. She said the man remains <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/hospital\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>hospitalized<\/a> and is &ldquo;courageously battling&rdquo; the virus.<\/p>\n<p>Callahan said the family is urging people to take the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/canadas-ontario-finds-two-cases-of-virus-variant-first-seen-in-uk\/\" title=\"Canada\u2019s Ontario finds two cases of virus variant first seen in UK\">public health advice<\/a> seriously and to do their utmost to protect themselves.<\/p>\n<p>The presence of the virus in Massachusetts this year was&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/general-news-650255e41adb3928cc00e3adc7cb5efc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>confirmed last month<\/a>&nbsp;in a mosquito sample, and has been found in other mosquitoes across the state since then. In a 2019 outbreak, there were six deaths among 12 confirmed cases in Massachusetts. The outbreak continued the following year with five more cases and another death.<\/p>\n<p>There are no vaccines or treatment for EEE.<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that although rare, EEE is very serious and about 30% of people who become infected die. Symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhea and seizures.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title> <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>People who survive are often permanently disabled, and few completely recover, Massachusetts authorities say. The disease is prevalent in birds, and although humans and some other mammals can catch EEE, they don&rsquo;t spread the disease.<\/p>\n<p>The CDC says only a few cases of EEE are reported in the U.S. each year, with most infections found in the eastern and Gulf Coast states.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1737034\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1737034\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A rare and lethal mosquito-borne virus has prompted towns in Massachusetts to increase awareness and caution. One town, Plymouth, is shutting down its parks and fields every evening, while four others are advising residents to stay indoors at night due to concerns over eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). Last week, state health officials reported the first human case of EEE in Massachusetts since 2020\u2014a man in his 80s who contracted the virus. Following an infected horse&#8217;s diagnosis in Plymouth, the town decided to close public outdoor recreational areas from dusk until dawn. Additionally, a cluster of four towns south of Worcester\u2014Douglas, Oxford, Sutton, and Webster\u2014are considered &#8220;critical risk&#8221; areas after a resident from Oxford was infected. Health officials are recommending that people in these towns limit outdoor activities by 6 p.m. until September 30 and by 5 p.m. thereafter until the first hard frost. They also advise all residents across Massachusetts to use mosquito repellent when outside and eliminate any standing water near their homes.<\/p>\n<p>Jennifer Callahan, the town manager of Oxford, shared that the family of the infected man reached out to her office expressing their desire for increased public awareness about this serious disease that can have devastating physical and emotional effects on those affected\u2014even if they survive it. The man had previously claimed he was rarely bitten by mosquitoes but reported being bitten shortly before showing symptoms; he remains hospitalized as he fights off the virus.<\/p>\n<p>The presence of EEE was confirmed last month through a mosquito sample collected in Massachusetts and has since been detected in other mosquitoes statewide. In a previous outbreak during 2019, there were six fatalities among twelve confirmed cases; another outbreak occurred the following year with five additional cases resulting in one death. There is currently no vaccine or treatment for EEE; according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), while rare, EEE is extremely serious with approximately 30% mortality among those infected. Symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, and seizures; survivors often face permanent disabilities with few making full recoveries.<\/p>\n<p>EEE primarily affects birds but can infect humans and some mammals without spreading it further; only a handful of cases are reported annually across the U.S., predominantly found along eastern states and Gulf Coast regions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2634,"featured_media":2330626,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/mosquitos-1024x729.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[5610,39220,32068,22799],"class_list":["post-2330625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-massachusetts","tag-mosquito-virus","tag-public-health","tag-vigilance"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/mosquitos-1024x729.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2330625","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2634"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2330625"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2330625\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2330626"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2330625"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2330625"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2330625"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}