Original source (on modern site)
GRAFTON, Mass. - With the arrival of warm weather, health experts warn a surge of mosquitoes is likely not far behind, and the potential presence of deadly viruses will be closely monitored. Sam Telford, a professor of infectious disease and global health at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, said all it takes is ten consecutive days of temperatures in the 50s or 60s to warm up standing pools of water enough for mosquito larvae to begin hatching. "The spring emergence that should occur within two weeks is probably going to be pretty, pretty bad," Telford said. "But the one people seem to worry about the most is what's going to happen in July, August and September, where we have the circulation of West Nile virus and Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE)." Late last summer, multiple towns in Massachusetts were marked as "high risk" for EEE by the Department of Public Health after several mosquitoes tested positive for the virus. It can cause a high fever and headaches, which can eventually lead to a dangerous swelling of the brain. Telford said the prevalence of EEE this year will depend heavily on rainfall, but noted the virus hasn't followed its usual patterns in recent years. "Our last outbreak was in 2020, and it should have gone away for seven years," Telford said. "Historically, that's the pattern. Last year, it reared its ugly head in Central Massachusetts in places where we didn't expect it. If the conditions are right, we're going to have to watch ourselves very carefully and have interventions against that." To protect yourself against mosquitoes, Telford said to have good screens on your windows, remove any standing water in your yard, clean out your gutters, and use a bug spray recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "In fact, I got rid of my gutters because I'm too lazy to clean my gutters and I know that's where mosquitoes are breeding," Telford said. "So go dump out all the water, kids toys, everything." In addition, Telford said there are often other resources you can call upon for assistance. "If your town belongs to a mosquito control district, have them come out and survey the neighborhood, and they will try to do some preventive measures to prevent mosquitoes from breeding," Telford said. Reported cases of EEE in Massachusetts among humans are rare, with slightly more than 115 cases since 1938. The majority of cases have typically been discovered in Bristol, Plymouth and Norfolk counties.