Officials in New England have ordered the immediate closure of public parks and fields following the sudden outbreak of Massachusetts deadly mosquito virus.
According to reports, the virus, named Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), was recently discovered in a horse in Massachusetts and has since then, given rise to the number of cases recorded in the Plymouth, a town in Massachusetts.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, EEE is a rare but deadly virus with fatality rate varying from 33% to 70%.
It states that most deaths recorded from EEE are recorded from between two to 10 days after the onset of symptoms which may include fever, chills, body aches, joint pain and neurological diseases such as meningitis and encephalitis in some cases.
While authorities say measures are being put in place to check the spread of the deadly mosquito virus, citizens have also been urged to take utmost precautionary measures by avoiding public parks and fields as soon as the sun goes down.
Health officials also urged people to wear bug spray when outdoors, ensure that every standing water around their homes are properly drained and make sure that screens on their homes are tightly fitted to windows and doors to prevent mosquitoes from entering.
Authorities also clarified that as part of measures taken on its part, the shutdown effective last Friday, is meant to avail designated crews the time and space to spray chemicals that would kill already infected mosquitoes and prevent further spread of the virus.
It added that, while spraying of parks and fields was set to commence early this week, the exercise would also be extended to schools in town by mid-week.
This is especially as some infected mosquitoes were recently found in nearby communities in Massachusetts such as Halifax and Kingston in Plymouth County, Barnstable in Barnstable County and Amesbury and Haverhill in Essex County.
In a statement, Plymouth’s Commissioner of Health and Human Services Michelle Bratti said, “As (Massachusetts Department of Public Health) has now elevated Plymouth’s EEE risk status to high, it is important to take extra precautions when outdoors and follow state and local health guidelines to avoid unnecessary risk to exposure to EEE.”
On their part, Massachusetts Department of Public Health have warned that all hands must be on deck as EEE affects people of all ages and is usually spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito.
