Dangerous mosquito virus spurs dusk-to-dawn park closures in U.S. town
Due to an increasing threat from a potentially deadly mosquito-borne disease, a coastal town in Massachusetts has closed its parks, playgrounds and sports fields from dusk to dawn, according to town officials.
Plymouth, Mass., about 60 km south of Boston, announced the closures on Aug. 23, due to a high risk of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), a rare and dangerous mosquito-borne disease with a 33 per cent to 70 per cent fatality rate and severe long-term effects, such a paralysis and brain dysfunction, for survivors.
The state’s health officials recently reported Massachusetts’ first human case of EEE since 2020, involving a man in his 80s. The region, as well as neighbouring towns, has also begun mosquito spraying as a preventative measure and are advising residents to use mosquito repellent.
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.
EEE is caused by a virus transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. While humans and certain mammals, such as horses and llamas, can contract the disease, they do not transmit it further. There are no human vaccines or treatments for EEE.
The virus can also cause severe illness and potentially be fatal in any age group, with those under 15 and over 50 being particularly at risk, health officials warned.
Although severe, EEE is still very rare. Since the virus was first identified in Massachusetts in 1938, just over 115 cases have occurred. During the last EEE outbreak in Massachusetts from 2019 to 2020, there were 17 human cases, resulting in seven deaths.
In Canada, human infections with EEE have also
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