BOURNE – The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced Thursday that Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus has been detected in mosquitoes collected from Bourne.
EEE is a rare but serious illness spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. While EEE can infect people of all ages, people under 15 years of age or over 50 years of age are at greatest risk for serious illness. The first EEE human case has been identified in Plymouth County. If you must be outside, be sure to be using EPA registered repellent, wear long sleeves and pant legs, and employ the use of nets and screens when possible.
You can help yourself and your community by ensuring there is no standing or stagnant water on your property. Check your yard for buckets, tarps, flower pots, kids toys, bird baths, etc.. if ANY are holding water, dump it out immediately and move the item to a place where it can no longer collect rain or sprinkler water. For bird baths, be sure to flush out and refresh the water every couple of days to prevent mosquito larvae development.
Also, ditches are made for drainage. They are not the place to put your fallen leaves, branches, yard clippings and more. Impeded flow causes standing water and makes the situation worse for you and your neighbors.
