Since early August, Massachusetts has been taking drastic action to combat the spread of a mosquito that carries the Eastern equine encephalitis virus, a potentially deadly disease also known as triple E.
In total, ten localities have been classified as high or critical risk areas.
While the first case of the disease was detected on August 16, the city of Plymouth decided to close all public parks and fields from evening to morning, the time slots during which the mosquito proliferates.
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Following in Plymouth’s footsteps, the city of Oxford has banned outdoor activities from 6 p.m.
In order to counter the spread of this virus, the Massachusetts Department of Health announced in a press release that “aerial and truck spraying» are scheduled.
According to estimates by U.S. authorities, about 30 percent of infected individuals die, while many other patients suffer neurological sequelae. Symptoms of the disease range from headaches to fever, vomiting and convulsions.