As the state prepares for another round of aerial spraying Monday to fight disease-carrying mosquitoes, Easton is emerging as the epicenter of the battle against the deadly virus Eastern equine encephalitis.
Public health officials have found EEE in 17 groups of mosquitoes collected in Easton alone. Eleven of the positive tests for EEE came after the state sprayed pesticide over a huge swath of southeastern Massachusetts last month, including Easton.
Spraying planned for Monday will focus on the six communities around the Hockomock Swamp where the threat from EEE-infected mosquitoes to humans is considered “critical†by public health officials. Those communities are Bridgewater, Easton, Norton, Raynham, Taunton and West Bridgewater. This will be the second time in two months those towns have been sprayed with pesticides from the air.
On Wednesday, state officials announced that a man in his 60s from the Metrowest region of Middlesex County has been diagnosed with EEE. The man became ill on July 28 after having recently traveled to the mid-Atlantic region, where he reported receiving a significant number of mosquito bites. He was hospitalized and released.
Public health officials said its unclear where the man was infected with the virus. He lives in an area considered low risk for EEE.
By contrast, Easton and the other towns in which the Hockomock Swamp lies are hotbeds of virus-infected mosquito activity.
The swamp is one of the key areas public health officials keep an eye on each summer, state public health veterinarian Catherine Brown said. And this year, it’s more worrisome than ever.
“In the past it’s served as a focus point for infection,†Brown said, adding that the swamp is where officials are seeing the “most virus activity this year.â€
The swamp’s population of songbirds, including robins and thrushes, combined with the right population of bird- and mammal-biting mosquitoes, make it an incubator for the disease.
Not only has Easton had several mosquitoes test positive for the virus, Brown said, but the positive tests are showing up earlier in the season than usual, increasing the chance for a human case of EEE.
Easton has curtailed evening activities since the first spraying and several other communities followed suit Tuesday after the state raised the threat level from high to critical.
Mosquitoes are most active after dusk.
“Everything we have is earlier,†Easton’s recreation program director Anne Daley said.
She said the town hasn’t seen any drop in participation in outdoor activities such as children’s races. A concert that was moved to an earlier time was not well attended, but Daley said it’s hard to tell if the cause was the change in time or fear of EEE.
A group of mothers watching their children swim at Easton’s town pool on Wednesday said they’ve changed their routines because of the EEE threat.
“We don’t walk as much ... I went to the Sheep Pasture today and there was no one there,†Kelly Mercieri said.
“We don’t go out after dinner,†Heather Melendy added. “We just had friends over and we all ate inside.â€
“People are aware of it,†Mercieri said. “But I’m not sure we know what to do†other than staying indoors after dark, she said.
The town’s Board of Health is looking for the power to issue bans on outdoor activities after dusk. Right now, it can only make recommendations. But it is asking selectmen for the authority to issue orders restricting outdoor activities in town, such as youth league and private sports camps.
The board also wants the authority to issue fines of up to $1,000 for not complying with the after-dark outdoor restrictions. A public hearing on the health board’s request is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 4, nearly a month away.
Easton Health Agent Mark Taylor said he wants to make sure people understand the severity of the EEE threat.
“I don’t ever remember them spraying twice in one year,†he said.
Justin Graeber may be reached at jgraeber@enterprisenews.com or follow him on Twitter @justingraeber.
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