Massachusetts health officials on Thursday raised the risk levels for Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile Virus, mosquito-borne diseases, in several regions after one case each was reported. Both cases are men in their 70s in Middlesex County, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. One man has been diagnosed with EEE, making him the third person in the state to contract the disease this year. Acton’s Board of Health confirmed a confirmed case of EEE in the region. Another man contracted West Nile Virus in a part of the county already designated as a high-risk area for the disease. His case marks the seventh case of the virus in the state this year, according to MassDPH. “The cases of West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis announced today make it clear that mosquito season is not over,” said Public Health Director Dr. Robbie Goldstein. As a result, the EEE risk level has been raised to high in Acton, Ayer, Boxborough, Carlisle and Littleton in Middlesex County, and Harvard in Worcester County. The level has been raised to moderate in Bedford, Billerica, Chelmsford, Concord, Framingham, Groton, Lincoln, Shirley, Stowe, Tyngsborough, Wayland and Westford in Middlesex County; and Berlin, Bolton, Clinton and Lancaster in Worcester County. Acton officials said the Central Massachusetts Mosquito Control Project will be spraying certain streets in Acton every Wednesday through September 25th. The WNV risk level for the following communities has been raised to high: Stoneham and Wakefield in Middlesex County. Link: DPH Mosquito-Borne Virus Risk Map “It is essential that residents continue to use mosquito repellents with EPA-registered active ingredients whenever they are outdoors,” Goldstein said. “We also strongly encourage residents and towns in areas with high EEE risk to reschedule outdoor events to evenings to avoid peak mosquito biting times.” “Mosquito behavior begins to change starting in September,” said Dr. Katherine Brown, state epidemiologist. But with warm weather, such as the one forecast for next weekend, mosquitoes will come out in search of their next meal. ” Mosquito control tips from MassDPH: Use insect repellent when you are outdoors to avoid mosquito bites. Use insect repellents that contain EPA-registered ingredients such as DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), or lemon eucalyptus oil (p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD) or IR3535) according to the product label directions. Do not use DEET products on infants under 2 months of age, and use no more than 30% concentration on older children. Do not use lemon eucalyptus oil on children under 3 years of age. Be aware of the times of day when mosquitoes are most prevalent. The hours between dusk and dawn are when many mosquitoes are most likely to bite. In high-risk areas, consider rescheduling outdoor activities to take place in the evening or early morning. Clothing can help reduce mosquito bites. Wearing long sleeves, pants, and socks when outdoors helps keep mosquitoes away from your skin. Make your home mosquito-proofDrain standing water. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Reduce the number of places mosquitoes can breed around your home by draining or discarding anything that holds water. Check your gutters and drains. Empty unused flower pots and watering pools and change the water in bird baths frequently. Install or repair screens. Install tight-fitting screens on all windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out. Protect your petsPet owners should reduce mosquito breeding sites on their property by eliminating standing water in containers such as buckets, tires, and watering pools. This is especially important after heavy rains. Fish tanks are a great place for mosquitoes to breed, so they should be flushed at least once a week during the summer to reduce mosquito populations near pastures. Horse owners should keep their horses indoors in their stalls at night to reduce their risk of exposure to mosquitoes. Also, ask your veterinarian about mosquito repellents approved for use in animals and vaccines to prevent West Nile virus and eastern equine encephalitis. If owners suspect their animals are infected with WNV or EEE, they should report it to the Department of Agricultural Resources’ Animal Health Division at 617-626-1795 and the Department of Public Health at 617-983-6800.
Massachusetts health officials on Thursday raised the risk level for mosquito-borne diseases in several regions after one new case each of eastern equine encephalitis and West Nile virus was confirmed.
Both cases are men in their 70s from Middlesex County, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
A man has been diagnosed with EEE, becoming the third person to contract the disease in the state this year, and Acton’s Board of Health has confirmed a case of EEE in the area.
Another man has contracted West Nile virus in an area of the county already designated as high-risk for West Nile virus infection, becoming the seventh person in the state this year to contract the virus, according to the Massachusetts Department of Health.
“The new cases of West Nile virus and eastern equine encephalitis announced today make it clear that mosquito season is not over yet,” said Surgeon General Dr. Robbie Goldstein.
As a result, the EEE risk level has been raised to high in Acton, Ayer, Boxborough, Carlisle and Littleton in Middlesex County and Harvard in Worcester County. The EEE risk level has been raised to moderate in Bedford, Billerica, Chelmsford, Concord, Framingham, Groton, Lincoln, Shirley, Stowe, Tyngsborough, Wayland and Westford in Middlesex County and Berlin, Bolton, Clinton and Lancaster in Worcester County.
Acton officials say the Central Massachusetts Mosquito Control Project Planned to spray on specific roads It runs every Wednesday in Acton until September 25th.
The WNV risk levels have been raised to high for the following communities: Stoneham and Wakefield in Middlesex County;
“It is essential that residents continue to use mosquito repellents that contain EPA-registered active ingredients whenever they are outdoors,” Goldstein said, “and we strongly encourage residents and towns in areas with high risk of EEE to reschedule outdoor events to evening hours to avoid peak mosquito biting times.”
“Mosquito behavior starts to change in September,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Katherine Brown. “As temperatures drop, mosquito activity slows down. But as temperatures rise, as is predicted for next weekend, mosquitoes come out and start looking for their next meal.”
Mosquito safety tips from MassDPH:
Preventing mosquito bites
Use insect repellent when outdoors. Use repellents containing EPA-registered ingredients such as DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), or lemon eucalyptus oil (p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD) or IR3535) according to product label directions. Do not use DEET products on infants under 2 months of age and use at a concentration of 30% or less on older children. Do not use lemon eucalyptus oil on children under 3 years of age.
Be aware of the times when mosquitoes are most prevalent: dusk to dawn is when most mosquitoes bite. If you are in a high-risk area, consider rescheduling outdoor activities to the evening or early morning.
Clothing can help reduce your risk of mosquito bites: Wearing long sleeves, long pants, and socks when you’re outdoors helps keep mosquitoes away from your skin.
Protect your home from mosquitoes
Drain standing water. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Reduce mosquito breeding sites around your home by draining or discarding any standing water. Check gutters and drains. Empty unused flower pots and watering pools, and change the water in birdbaths frequently.
Install or repair screens: Install tight-fitting screens on all windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out.
Protecting animals
Animal owners should reduce mosquito breeding sites on their property by eliminating standing water in buckets, tires, wading pools and other containers, especially after heavy rains. Water tanks are perfect breeding sites for mosquitoes, so they should be flushed at least once a week during the summer to reduce mosquito populations near pastures. Horse owners should keep their horses indoors in stalls at night to reduce the risk of exposure to mosquitoes. Also, talk to your veterinarian about mosquito repellents approved for use in animals and vaccines to prevent West Nile virus and eastern equine encephalitis.
If an animal is suspected to be infected with WNV or EEE, owners should report it to the Department of Agricultural Resources Animal Health Division by calling 617-626-1795 and to Public Health by calling 617-983-6800.
