Health
FILE — A cattail mosquito is held for inspection Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010, at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute in South Portland, Maine. AP Photo/Pat Wellenbach, file
A rare but deadly mosquito-borne disease is posing a serious threat in parts of New England, health officials warn, prompting the cancellation of some events and changes to sports schedules to avoid bites from infected insects.
Eastern equine encephalitis, which can cause symptoms such as vomiting and seizures, infected a New Hampshire resident who later died, health officials reported last week. With two human cases reported in Massachusetts and one in Vermont this summer, officials are taking steps to get people indoors before dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
Oktoberfest has been canceled in Burlington, Vermont’s largest city, and schools in some New England are scheduling sports practices during peak mosquito times.
Although rare, Eastern equine encephalitis is very serious, and about 30% of people infected die, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Survivors can suffer lifelong mental and physical disabilities. People over age 50 and under age 15 appear to be at greatest risk for severe illness, according to the CDC.
“The data from Vermont and current virus activity around New England show that we must take the threat of EEE very seriously,” Vermont Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine said in a statement last week.
In Vermont, a much higher number of mosquitoes are testing positive for the virus than in previous years, and residents in high-risk communities are being urged to avoid going out at night until the first frost kills the mosquitoes, the Health Department said.
A weekly outdoor festival featuring live music, food and drinks at Burlington’s Intervale was also canceled last week and Thursday night “for the safety of our staff and community,” organizers said.
In Massachusetts, the town of Plymouth closes its parks and fields every night, and at least four other towns are urging residents to avoid going out at night. In a 2019 outbreak in Massachusetts, six people died out of 12 confirmed cases. The outbreak continued the following year with five more cases and one more death.
There is no vaccine or treatment for the disease. Only a few cases are reported each year in the United States, with most infections occurring in the Eastern and Gulf Coast states, according to the CDC.
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