The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced Friday the first detection of Eastern equine encephalitis virus in Massachusetts mosquitoes this year. Mosquito samples taken Wednesday in Douglas and Southbridge in Worcester County confirmed the presence of EEE. So far this year, no human or animal cases of his EEE have been detected. Officials said the discovery raised his EEE risk level to a moderate level in the communities of Douglas, Dudley, Southbridge, Sturbridge, Uxbridge and Webster in Worcester County. The EEE outbreak cycle occurred in 2019 and 2020, but there was no EEE activity in Massachusetts in 2021 and 2022,” said Public Health Commissioner Robert Goldstein, MD. “This is a late-season emergence for EEE and we need to ensure that risk levels do not rise excessively or too quickly. People should take precautions to avoid mosquito bites.” EEE is a rare but serious, potentially fatal disease that can affect people of all ages. there is. EEE is usually spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. In 2019, Massachusetts had 12 human EEE cases and 6 deaths, and 1 death and 5 human cases in 2020. There will be no human EEE cases in Massachusetts in 2021 and 2022. “We have had a lot of mosquitoes this year, but as we all know, it’s been very humid all summer, and I think that’s supported the mosquito numbers. They don’t want to get bitten.” said state epidemiologist Dr Catherine Brown. Health officials urged residents and visitors to apply insect repellent when outdoors, be aware of peak mosquito hours from dusk to dawn, and wear long sleeves, long trousers and socks when outdoors. Earlier this week, health officials in Massachusetts confirmed two human cases of West Nile virus, another mosquito-borne disease. A man in his 40s recently contracted the virus in a known area, Middlesex County, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. At moderate risk of infection, a woman in her 70s from Massachusetts was exposed to West Nile virus in another part of the country. More information, including all West Nile virus and her EEE positive results, are available on the Arbovirus Surveillance Information Web. Mosquito-borne disease page | Mass.gov is updated daily. Or call the DPH Epidemiology Division at 617-983-6800.Video: Massachusetts Doctor Discusses EEE Risks and Raw Oyster Concerns
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced Friday the first detection of Eastern equine encephalitis virus in mosquitoes in Massachusetts this year.
The presence of EEE was confirmed Wednesday in mosquito samples taken in Douglas and Southbridge in Worcester County. So far this year, no EEE cases of him in humans or animals have been detected.
Officials say the findings put the communities of Douglas, Dudley, Southbridge, Sturbridge, Uxbridge and Webster in Worcester County at a moderately elevated risk level for EEE.
“After the EEE outbreak cycle that occurred in 2019 and 2020, there was no EEE activity in Massachusetts in 2021 and 2022,” said Public Health Commissioner Robert Goldstein, MD. “This is a late-season emergence for EEE and we need to ensure that risk levels do not rise excessively or rapidly. And people need to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites.”
EEE is a rare but serious and potentially fatal disease that can affect people of all ages. EEE is usually spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito.
In 2019, Massachusetts had 12 human EEE cases with 6 deaths, and in 2020, 1 death and 5 deaths. There will be no human EEE cases in Massachusetts in 2021 and 2022.
“Actually, we didn’t expect to see a lot of mosquitoes this year, but as we all know, we had a lot of rain all summer, so I think that increased the number of mosquitoes.” I don’t want to,” said state epidemiologist Dr. Catherine Brown.
Health officials urged residents and visitors to apply insect repellent when outdoors, be aware of peak mosquito hours from dusk to dawn, and wear long sleeves, long trousers and socks when outdoors.
Earlier this week, Massachusetts health officials confirmed two human cases of West Nile virus, another mosquito-borne disease.
In Middlesex County, a man in his 40s was recently exposed to the virus in an area already known to be at moderate risk of infection, and a woman in her 70s in Massachusetts also has West Nile virus, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. said to have been exposed to another region of the country.
More information, including all West Nile Virus and EEE positive results, is available on the Arbovirus Surveillance Information web page at: Mosquito-borne diseases | Government of MassachusettsThis is updated daily. Or call the DPH Epidemiology Division at 617-983-6800.
Video: Massachusetts Doctor Discusses EEE Risks and Raw Oyster Concerns
