Second Horse with EEE Discovered in Belchertown By Ryan Trowbridge - email August 7th, 2013 BOSTON (WGGB) — The state has announced that a second horse in Belchertown has been found infected with Eastern Equine Encephalitis, or EEE. The news Wednesday marks the second EEE infected horse found in Belchertown this year. The state announced last week that a separate horse, stabled in Belchertown, had EEE. The Mass. Department of Public Health says that because of the recent horse’s location near the Amherst town line, as well as last week’s other positive mosquitoes, the EEE threat level for Amherst has been raised to ‘High’ for Amherst, and to ‘Moderate’ for Hadley and South Hadley. Belchertown remains at a ‘Critical’ threat level for EEE. Those communities that have ‘High’ or ‘Critical’ levels are being urged to cancel outdoor evening activities for the rest of the mosquito season. The state’s Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Catherine Brown says, “There is clearly a focus of EEE activity around the Amherst/Belchertown border and we want everyone to take precautions to avoid getting bitten. People should be using insect repellant and covering up exposed skin already because of both EEE and West Nile virus. Residents in the highest risk areas should also reschedule evening outdoor activities to avoid dusk and nighttime, when mosquitoes are at their most active.” Hatfield, Northampton, and Whately have also had their EEE threat level raised to ‘Low.’ So far this year, there have been no human cases of either virus. The state offers these tips to try and avoid an mosquito-borne illness: Avoid Mosquito Bites Apply Insect Repellent when Outdoors. Use a repellent with DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-methane 3, 8-diol (PMD)] or IR3535 according to the instructions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30% or less on older children. Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under three years of age. Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours. The hours from dusk to dawn are peak biting times for many mosquitoes. Consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during evening or early morning. Clothing Can Help Reduce Mosquito Bites. Wearing long-sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin. Mosquito-Proof Your Home Drain Standing Water. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by either draining or discarding items that hold water. Check rain gutters and drains. Empty any unused flowerpots and wading pools, and change water in birdbaths frequently. Install or Repair Screens. Keep mosquitoes outside by having tightly-fitting screens on all of your windows and doors. Protect Your Animals Animal owners should reduce potential mosquito breeding sites on their property by eliminating standing water from containers such as buckets, tires, and wading pools – especially after heavy rains. Water troughs provide excellent mosquito breeding habitats and should be flushed out at least once a week during the summer months to reduce mosquitoes near paddock areas. Horse owners should keep horses in indoor stalls at night to reduce their risk of exposure to mosquitoes. Owners should also speak with their veterinarian about mosquito repellents approved for use in animals and vaccinations to prevent WNV and EEE. If an animal is diagnosed with WNV or EEE, owners are required to report to DAR, Division of Animal Health by calling 617-626-1795 and to the Department of Public Health (DPH) by calling 617-983-6800. More information, including all WNV and EEE positive results from 2013, can be found on the Arbovirus Surveillance Information web page or by calling the DPH Epidemiology Program at 617-983-6800.
Posted on: Mon, 12 Aug 2013 23:06:54 +0000
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