The town has ordered the closing of all public fields and parks in Plymouth from dusk to dawn until further notice, citing the high risk of Eastern equine encephalitis, a potentially fatal disease spread by mosquitoes.
The closings will apply to all sports leagues and organizations that use Plymouth’s outdoor recreational facilities – as well as to the general population – according to a press release from Casey Kennedy, the town’s newly hired communications director.
“Signs will be placed at all public parks and fields enforcing this message,” the release said.
EEE was recently diagnosed in a horse in Plymouth, which caused the state to raise the alert level here to high.
Though rare, EEE can spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. Symptoms can include fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, behavioral changes, and drowsiness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In at least 30 percent of cases, EEE is fatal, and survivors often face long term neurological issues.
Last week, an Oxford man in his 80s became the first Massachusetts resident known to have contracted the disease since 2020.
“As Mass [Department of Public Health] has now elevated Plymouth’s EEE risk status to high, it is important to take extra precautions when outdoors and follow state and local health guidelines to avoid unnecessary risk to exposure to EEE,” said Michelle Bratti, Plymouth’s commissioner of health and human services, in the statement released by Town Hall. “The health and safety of our community, residents, and visitors remain our priority.”
The town said that the Plymouth County Mosquito Control Project “has continuously been spraying requested neighborhoods (weather permitting) and will conduct ground spraying for all public parks and fields early next week with spraying for all schools occurring by mid-week.”
The spraying is scheduled for between 2 a.m. and sunrise, weather permitting.
For more information on upcoming neighborhood spray routes, to request spraying, or to opt out of having your property sprayed, go here.
More information about EEE, and protecting yourself from mosquitoes can be found here. You can also call the DPH Division of Epidemiology at 617-983-6800.
Mark Pothier can be reached at mark@plymouthindependent.org.