Residents of a Massachusetts town are being urged not to leave their homes after dark due to the spread of a deadly mosquito-borne virus.
The Board of Health in Oxford, a town of 13,300 about 50 miles southwest of Boston, has instituted an outdoor curfew in hopes of reducing the chances of people being bitten by mosquitoes that carry eastern equine encephalitis (EEE).
This comes after a resident became the first human to contract the rare and untreatable disease, known as ‘Triple E’, nationwide in nearly four years.
Triple E causes fever and brain inflammation and can lead to seizures and coma. One-third of people infected with EEE die, and those who recover often suffer lifelong physical and mental problems.
Mosquitoes transmit Eastern equine encephalitis, a virus that kills 30 percent of people who contract it.
The dusk curfew, which falls around 8 p.m. in Massachusetts, is only a recommendation, not a rule, but city officials hope it will push people indoors before peak mosquito hours, reducing the risk of exposure.
While not required, the curfew will be enforced by the local school district, meaning after-school programs and sports can be canceled, ended early or moved indoors — something many parents, students and athletes disagree with.
Nearly 1,000 Oxford residents have signed an online petition to keep sports grounds open.
Oxford Webster vice president of football and cheerleading Josh Ziemski said at Wednesday’s meeting: “Our main goal is to be heard. Let us decide. I’m a father, I coach my son, and yes, if things happen, I can take precautions.”
And two sisters on the cheerleading squad fear the curfew will affect their season.
One of them, Aria Fournier in eighth grade, said CBS Local: ‘This is my last year as a cheerleader on this team and it would be really sad if I missed it.’
Her mother, Sarah, added: “The numbers don’t warrant the drastic actions they are trying to take.”
And Oxford Little League President Philip Davis said, “We believe that parents should be able to make decisions as parents, for our children, for the well-being of our children.”
But Director of Public Health Rike Sterrett told attendees: “We don’t want to see another human case of EEE this year.”
“One is too many. Even if you survive, there are usually serious health consequences, neurological consequences.”
City officials rinse On Facebook: ‘This afternoon the Board of Health met for the first time to receive updates from the Director of Public Health since the City of Oxford, along with 3 bordering communities, were placed at critical risk for EEE or Eastern Equine Encephalitis.
‘The Memorandum CLEARLY states that all private municipal leagues may continue to choose to play beyond the recommendations of DPH and those jointly adopted by the 4 critically ill cities.
“No one prohibits the use of fields by private leagues and has never stated so.”
Anyone wishing to play outdoors beyond the recommended curfew should contact the city for more information.
Authorities have not revealed the location or identity of the infected man, but have… saying He is over 80 years old, lives in Oxford and contracted the disease last week.
The risk level for EEE has been raised to critical in four cities and to moderate in nine others.
TO memorandum A statement released by the City of Oxford said a family member of the infected person, who is hospitalized and “fighting bravely against this virus,” has reached out to officials multiple times because they “want people to be aware that this is an extremely serious illness with terrible physical and emotional consequences, regardless of whether the person manages to live after contracting the virus.”
“They want residents to take seriously public health recommendations on prevention measures to avoid contracting this virus.”
The memo also states that a horse infected with EEE in neighboring Connecticut died from the virus.
In 2019, there were 12 human cases of EEE in Massachusetts and six people died. In 2020, there were five human cases and one death.
There were no cases or deaths in each year between 2021 and 2023, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Symptoms of EEE usually begin four to 10 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito, according to the CDC.
Most infected people have no symptoms, but those who develop severe cases will experience fever, chills, body aches and joint pain.
In mild cases, recovery takes about one to two weeks and people will likely make a full recovery if the infection does not affect the central nervous system, the CDC added.
However, people with severe cases may develop meningitis (inflammation of the brain and spinal cord) or encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).
These symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, behavioral changes, drowsiness, and even coma.
There is no specific treatment for EEE, but doctors will provide supportive care to manage symptoms, such as pain relievers and hydrating fluids.
For the approximately 33 percent of people with EEE who die, death usually occurs between two and ten days after the onset of symptoms.
People who survive are left with brain damage and permanent disabilities that require long-term care. They may die within a few years after recovering from the initial infection, the CDC added.
Only a few cases of EEE are reported in the U.S. each year, and most often they occur in eastern or Gulf Coast states.
So far in 2024, two additional human cases of EEE have been reported in two other states (Vermont and New Jersey) and all three US patients have developed severe neuroinvasive cases.
A record 38 cases were reported in 2019.
Experts fear that rising temperatures, humidity and rainfall could lead to an increase in the virus.
The virus is only transmitted from mosquitoes to humans (and horses) and there is no human-to-human or animal-to-human transmission.
To protect against EEE, a public health organization advisory Oxford City recommends wearing long sleeves and pants, avoiding stagnant water and pools of water that act as breeding grounds for mosquitoes, applying insect repellent, and avoiding peak mosquito hours from dusk to dawn.
