- Oxford imposes curfew due to deadly EEE virus
- One resident infected; town at critical risk
- Curfew affects sports, causes local debate
Residents of a Massachusetts town are being warned not to leave their houses after dark due to the development of a deadly mosquito-borne virus.
The Oxford Board of Health, a city of 13,300 inhabitants located about 50 miles southwest of Boston, has imposed an outdoor curfew in the hopes of reducing the number of individuals bitten by mosquitos carrying Eastern Equine Encephalitis.
It comes after a resident became the first person to get the uncommon and incurable condition, known as ‘Triple E’, domestically in nearly four years.
Triple E produces fever, and brain oedema, and can result in seizures and comas. One-third of those infected with EEE die, and those who survive are frequently left with long-term physical and mental problems.
The twilight curfew, which occurs around 8 p.m. in Massachusetts, is merely a recommendation, not a mandate, but town officials hope it will drive people indoors before peak mosquito hours, lowering the danger of exposure.
While not a mandate, the local school district will enforce the curfew, which means that after-school programs and sports may be cancelled, shortened, or relocated indoors, something many parents, kids, and athletes are upset about.
Nearly 1,000 Oxford locals have signed an online petition to keep the sports fields open.
Josh Ziemski, Vice President of Oxford Webster Football and Cheer stated at the meeting on Wednesday that “being heard is our number one goal.” Let us decide. I’m a parent; I train my son, and yeah, if something happens, I can take safeguards.
Two cheerleading squad sisters are concerned that the curfew may influence their season.
Aria Fournier, an eighth-grade cheerleader, told local CBS, ‘This is my last year as a cheerleader on this team, and it would be incredibly devastating if I missed out on it.’
Her mother, Sarah, added, ‘The figures don’t require the severe remedies they’re doing.
Oxford Little League President Philip Davis stated, ‘We believe that parents should be entitled to make decisions for their children’s well-being.’
However, Public Health Director Rike Sterrett warned delegates, ‘We don’t want to see another human case of EEE this year.
‘One is too many. Even if you survive, you will most likely have significant health consequences, including neurological consequences.
Town officials stated on Facebook: ‘This evening, the Board of Health met for the first time to be briefed by the Director of Public Health since the Town of Oxford and three neighbouring villages were designated as Critical Risk for EEE, or Eastern Equine Encephalitis.
‘The Memorandum specifies that all private Town Leagues may continue to play in addition to the DPH recommendations and those mutually agreed upon by the four towns in Critical Status.
‘No one is prohibiting the use of private league fields and has never stated so.’
Anyone wishing to play outdoors beyond the advised curfew should contact the town for more information.
Officials have not revealed the location or identity of the affected man, but say he is in his 80s, lives in Oxford, and caught the illness last week.
The EEE risk level has been elevated to critical in four locations and moderate in nine others.
According to a memo published by the Town of Oxford, a family member of the infected, who is hospitalised and ‘courageously battling this virus,’ has contacted officials several times because ‘they want people to be aware this is an extremely serious disease with terrible physical and emotional consequences, regardless of whether the person survives after contracting the virus’.
They encourage residents to take public health tips for preventing catching this illness seriously.
According to the memo, an EEE-infected horse in neighbouring Connecticut died as a result of the infection.
In 2019, there were 12 human instances of EEE in Massachusetts, with six deaths. In 2020, there were five human cases and one fatality.
There were no instances of deaths between 2021 and 2023, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
EEE symptoms usually appear between four to ten days after being bitten by an infected mosquito, according to the CDC.
Most infected persons show no symptoms, but those who develop severe infections will feel fever and chills. Body aches and joint pains.
The recovery time for mild instances is one to two weeks, and people will most likely recover completely if the virus does not affect the central nervous system, according to the CDC.
Serious cases, however, can lead to meningitis (swelling of the brain and spinal cord) or encephalitis (swelling of the brain).
Symptoms may include fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, seizures, behavioural abnormalities, lethargy, and even coma.
There is no specific therapy for EEE, but doctors will provide supportive care to alleviate symptoms, such as pain relievers and hydration.
Death occurs two to ten days following the onset of symptoms in roughly 33 per cent of patients with EEE.
Those who survive are left with brain damage and continuing problems that necessitate long-term care. The CDC stated that they may die within a few years of recovering from the original infection.
Only a few EEE cases are documented in the United regions each year, with the majority occurring in the eastern or Gulf Coast regions.
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So far in 2024, two more human instances of EEE have been documented in two different states: Vermont and New Jersey, with all three US patients developing severe neuroinvasive cases.
In 2019, there were a record 38 instances reported.
Experts are afraid that rising temperatures, humidity, and rainfall may lead to an upsurge of the virus.
The virus spreads only from mosquito to human (and horse), with no human-to-human or animal-to-human transmission.
To protect yourself from EEE, a public health advice from the town of Oxford suggests wearing long sleeves and long trousers, avoiding standing and gathering water, which serve as mosquito breeding grounds, using insect repellent and avoiding peak mosquito hours from dusk to dawn.
