Town of Bridgewater Offers Safety Reminders After EEE Virus Confirmed in Mosquito Locally

BRIDGEWATER — Town Manager Justin Casanova-Davis and Health Agent Eric Badger report that the Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus was detected in a mosquito collected from Bridgewater.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) notified the Town on Wednesday that a coquillettidia perturbans mosquito collected on July 22 tested positive for EEE.

At this time, there have been no reported human or animal cases of EEE in Bridgewater or Massachusetts this year.

DPH currently has Bridgewater and most of southeastern Massachusetts at a low risk for EEE and West Nile Virus.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, EEE is a rare but serious infection. EEE causes very few human cases each year, but can be fatal. The risk of infection is highest among individuals under the age of 15 and over the age of 50.

The Bridgewater Health Department is working in close collaboration with DPH.

The Bridgewater Health Department strongly urges members of the community to adhere to the following safety tips from DPH:

Avoid Mosquito Bites

• Limit outdoor activities during peak mosquito hours. Consider cancelling or rescheduling planned outdoor evening events and activities. The hours from dusk to dawn are peak biting times for many mosquitoes. 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 repellent.
• Clothing can help reduce mosquito bites: Although it may be difficult to do when it’s hot, wearing long sleeves, long pants and socks while outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.
• Apply insect repellent if you do go outdoors. Use a repellent with DEET, permethrin, picaridin, IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus 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 percent 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 directly to your skin.

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 bird baths frequently.
• Install or repair window and door screens: Some mosquitoes like to come indoors. Keep them outside by having tightly-fitting screens on all of your windows and doors.

Information about EEE and reports of current and historical EEE virus activity in Massachusetts can be found on the DPH website.

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