New Delhi: A rare and deadly equine virus, capable of infecting humans with a staggering mortality rate of 30%, has been detected across multiple counties in the Hudson Valley and surrounding states. This menace, largely unknown to the public until now, has already infected its first victims—a horse in Orange County, New York, and an elderly man in Massachusetts.
The virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito, has health officials on high alert. In response to the growing threat, four towns in Massachusetts—Douglas, Oxford, Sutton, and Webster—have taken the unprecedented step of implementing a voluntary evening lockdown to curb the spread of this potentially fatal disease, the New York Post reported.
The Oxford Board of Health voted on Wednesday to urge residents to stay indoors after 6:00 pm, a precautionary measure effective immediately until September 30. As the chill of October sets in, the recommendation will shift, with residents being advised to remain inside after 5:00 pm until the season’s first hard frost brings an end to the mosquito threat.
This advisory, shared with Fox News Digital, highlights the critical period from dusk through dawn as “peak mosquito hours,” during which the risk of contracting the virus is highest. The four towns have been designated as “critical-risk” areas.
What is EEE?
Eastern Equine Encephalitis is not just another mosquito-borne illness. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes EEE as a “rare but serious disease,” one that, while infrequent, carries devastating consequences. The CDC notes that only a handful of cases are reported in the US each year, predominantly in the Eastern and Gulf Coast states.
Despite its rarity, the virus’s impact is profound, with no vaccines available to prevent it and no medicines to treat it once contracted.
The agency also points out that humans and other animals who contract EEE are considered “dead-end hosts,” meaning they cannot transmit the virus to mosquitoes, preventing further spread from the infected.
