After nearly five inactive years, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) has been found in the Bay State – the first human case has been found in Oxford, and a 41-year-old New Hamphire man died from EEE, Closer to home, a mosquito test sample from an area behind the Whitman DPW yielded a positive result for EEE.
But, while they are strongly recommending the proper insect repellant and protective clothing, town and school athletics officials are not sounding the alarm yet.
Health Inspector Daniel Kelly on Monday, said he sent out a robocall on Friday, Aug. 23 advising residents that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) had increased the alert level for West Nile Virus from moderate to high in Whitman and a few other surrounding communities that day.
In Hanson, however, Health Agent Gil Amado, said the EEE threat level remained at moderate, and that there would be no restrictions placed on recreation fields in town unless the threat level were to be increased to high.
“We’re on top of it,” said Amado, who met with other members of the town’s emergency response team Tuesday morning.
Hanson Fire Chief Robert O’Brien Jr., who also attended the meeting, said mosquito spraying for a large portion of the South Shore would be the focus of aerial spraying beginning Tuesday, Aug. 27 and would continue over several evenings in Carver, Halifax, Kingston, Middleborough, Plymouth, Plympton, Rochester and Wareham. Truck-mounted ground spraying will take place in: Douglas, Dudley, Oxford, Sutton, and Uxbridge. For both methods, spraying begins at dusk and continues until about 4:30 a.m. the next day.
“It is important to note that this is weather dependent, and plans could change up to the last minute,” the Mass. Department of Health and Social Services posted on its site. “Coverage of the entire area at risk in Plymouth County may take several nights of spraying. The truck-based spray in Worcester County will occur over multiple nights.”
The site noted the substance used in the spraying is called Anvil 10+10, an EPA-registered product extensively tested and used in both ground-level and aerial spraying in the U.S. to control mosquitoes. Anvil 10+10 contains two active ingredients: Sumithrin and Piperonyl butoxide (PBO). Sumithrin is a pyrethroid insecticide that kills insects when the insect comes into direct contact with it. Sumithrin is also found in pesticide products used indoors, pet shampoos, and tick control treatments. Piperonyl butoxide serves to increase the ability of Sumithrin to kill mosquitoes.
Sumithrin and PBO decompose with exposure to light and air and are rapidly inactivated with a half-life of less than one day in the air and on plants. These compounds have proven to be highly effective in killing mosquitoes worldwide for over 20 years.
“They did not list Hanson, yet,” O’Brien said of the spraying.
Kelly announced Whitman’s positive sample for both West Nile Virus (WNV) and EEE Aug. 2.
“Obviously, right now, we want people to be cautious,” Kelly said Monday. “Use bug spray with DEET. Make sure you use that bug spray after dusk and, if you can avoid being out after dusk, that’s great, but we don’t want people to shut down their lives.”
Kelly said the Whitman Heath Department is recommending what the rest of the state is recommending.
“At this time, we’’re not telling anyone to shut down any of the fields or anything, but, obviously, that’s a conversation that we’ll have in the future,” he said.
That possibility, while not imminent, is already on the mind of W-H Athletics Director Bob Rodgers.
“I’m super-concerned about it,” said Rodgers on Monday. “Usually when things trend this way it doesn’t get better – usually the restrictions become tighter – so we are hoping that it will stay this way, but we’re preparing for the possibility that we might have to do some restrictions.”
Rodgers preparing an announcement to send home to the families of student-athletes as he spoke, reminding them that the normal precautions they would take in their everyday life: wearing repellant; wearing long sleeves and long pants; and getting rid of any standing water around the home, including birdbaths; are still important.
“We’re hoping that people will do that, but we’ll keep track of it,” he said. “I know there are schools in our league that have had a ban on any activities after sundown.”
He said Plymouth is the district within the league that he knows has made that move, and he has heard that Carver, which is outside the Patriot League, has also banned outdoor sports after sundown.
“I had a family cookout over the weekend and I made sure that everybody wore repellant and took precautions,” Rodgers said. “I think everybody, regardless of what you are doing – whether it’s high school sports or going out to the supermarket, if EEE is in the area, while the odds are very low that you will contract it, it’s something you have to take proper precautions against because it is very dangerous.”
WNV is most commonly transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. The mosquitoes that carry this virus are common throughout the state and are found in urban as well as more rural areas. While WNV can infect people of all ages, people over the age of 50 are at higher risk for severe infection.
The 4 Ds of mosquito control are a set of precautions you can take to protect you and your family from mosquitoes:
Dress: Wear long, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing when you’re outside.
DEET: Use insect repellent that contains DEET, following the product label for application. DEET is a repellent that keeps mosquitoes away from you so they won’t bite.
Drain: Remove any standing water outside your home, including water in containers like bottles, cans, buckets, flower pots, tires, and trash containers. You should also change the water in pet dishes, bird baths, and wading pools, and remove litter, leaves, and grass clippings.
Dusk and dawn: Stay indoors during dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active. When risk is increased, consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during evening or early morning. If you are outdoors at any time and notice mosquitoes around you, take steps to avoid being bitten by moving indoors, covering up and/or wearing repellant.
The risk of mosquito borne diseases will continue until there is a hard frost that eliminates the mosquito population.
What to do:
By taking a few, common sense precautions, people can help to protect themselves and their loved ones: Avoid Mosquito Bites
- Apply Insect Repellent when you go outdoors. Use a repellent with DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-methane 3, 8-diol (PMD)] according to the instructions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30% or less on older children. Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under three years of age. Permethrin products are intended for use on items such as clothing, shoes, bed nets and camping gear and should not be applied to skin.
- Clothing Can Help reduce mosquito bites. Although it may be difficult to do when it’s hot, wearing longsleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.
- Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours – The hours from dusk to dawn are peak biting times for many mosquitoes. When risk is increased, consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during evening or early morning. If you are outdoors at any time and notice mosquitoes around you, take steps to avoid being bitten by moving indoors, covering up and/or wearing repellant. Mosquito-Proof Your Home
- Drain Standing Water – Many mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by either draining or getting rid of items that hold water. Check rain gutters and drains. Empty any unused flowerpots and wading pools and change water in birdbaths frequently.
- Install or Repair Screens – Some mosquitoes like to come indoors. Keep them outside by having tightlyfitting screens on all your windows and doors.