State Elevates EEE Risk To 'High' In 3 More MA Communities

STURBRIDGE, MA — The late-season emergence of Eastern equine encephalitis in Massachusetts has spread, with three more communities at "high" risk for EEE, state officials said this week.

Brimfield, Sturbridge, and Holland have joined six other communities in southern Worcester County at high risk for the potentially deadly disease after mosquito samples collected in Brimfield tested positive.

Last week, the state elevated the risk to "high" in Douglas, Dudley, Oxford, Southbridge, Sutton, and Webster. The risk has also been elevated to "moderate" in Auburn, Charlton, Grafton, Millbury, Northbridge, and Wales in Hampden County.

But the late-season EEE emergence also means the risk might be short-lived. The mosquito season typically ends after the first frost in fall.

"The forecast is for cooler temperatures, which will start to reduce mosquito activity," State Epidemiologist Dr. Catherine M. Brown said in a news release. "However, the risk for spread of EEE virus from mosquitoes to people is still present. Everyone in these moderate- and high-risk areas should take the recommended steps to prevent mosquito bites; this includes avoiding outdoor activity between dusk and dawn in the high-risk communities."

EEE hasn't been detected in Massachusetts since 2020. The state saw its worst outbreak of the disease in 2019 and 2020 with a combined human toll of 17 cases and seven deaths.