Several Massachusetts towns in Worcester and Plymouth counties will be sprayed for mosquitos amid growing concerns of EEE in the region.
Carver, Halifax, Kingston, Middleborough, Plymouth, Plympton, Rochester, and Wareham will be sprayed from the air while Douglas, Dudley, Oxford, Sutton, and Uxbridge will be sprayed by trucks.
MDPH says the spraying will begin this upcoming week of August 26 and residents will be told the exact timing in the coming days.
State health officials announced last week a man in his 80s had caught the disease, the first human case found in Massachusetts since 2020.
The town of Plymouth, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southeast of Boston, announced Friday that it’s closing public outdoor recreation facilities from dusk until dawn each day after a horse in the town was infected with the disease.
“We have not seen an outbreak of EEE for four years in Massachusetts,” said DPH Commissioner Robbie Goldstein. MD, PhD. “This year’s outbreak and activity raise the risk for communities in parts of the state. We need to use all our available tools to reduce risk and protect our communities. We are asking everyone to do their part.”