The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Officials consider options to prevent spread of EEE
Two cases of the Eastern Equine Encephalitis have been reported in the state
PORTLAND — Town officials are weighing whether and when to begin spraying certain areas in town in an effort to limit the risk of EEE mosquitoes.
That’s particularly true of the Exchange Fairgrounds, which are scheduled to host the annual Portland Agricultural Fair on Oct. 46, First Selectwoman Susan S. Bransfield said.
In the meantime, school and town athletic fields have been ordered cleared of all outdoor activities by dusk.
East Hampton sprayed the tree lines surrounding three schools: the high school, middle school, and Center School, early Monday morning.
That followed news that EEE was found last week in samples taken in Colchester by the state Department of Public Health.
Jeremy Hall, the East Hampton Parks and Recreation Director, said “a hazardous medium risk pesticide” called “Mosquito Free” was used in the spraying.
It was applied by a backpack mistblower to the trees and brush along the wood lines of the fields to create a barrier to mosquitoes entering the areas.
“No spray was applied to
the grass surfaces of the playing fields,” Superintendent of Schools Paul K. Smith said.
On Monday afternoon, Middlefield First Selectman Edward P. Bailey announced the EEE virus had been found in mosquitoes that were tested in his community.
Two cases of the Eastern Equine Encephalitis have been reported in Connecticut in addition to nearly a dozen other cases in the eastern half of the U.S.
One of the patients from Connecticut, an East Lyme resident who is believed to have been bitten by an infected mosquito in August, died this past Friday.
That death brings the total so far this season to seven fatalities, including three in Michigan, two in Massachusetts and one in Rhode Island.
Acting out of what she said is “an abundance of caution,” Bransfield discussed limiting the hours athletic fields can be used with Superintendent of Schools Philip B. O’Reilly and Parks and Recreation Director Nathan R. Foley.
In a letter announcing the decision to restrict the hours on Parks and Recreation fields, Foley said, “I understand that the scheduled times of games and practices are coordinated for (the) convenience of parents and coaches.
“However, we must limit the possibility of exposure to all participants at this time,” he said.
The limits will remain in place “until further notice,” Foley said.
In addition to imposing a similar restrictions on school fields, O’Reilly postponed a scheduled field trip for students to Hammonasett Beach State Park in Madison until the end of October.
The risk of mosquitoborne illnesses is generally wiped out after the first killing frost, which usually takes place in October.
Bransfield has also spoken with 32nd District state Rep. Christie Carpino, RCromwell, about the issue and hopes to speak Tuesday to officials from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
Meanwhile, Director of Public Works Robert J. Shea has reached out to professionals to get a sense of how much to anticipate spraying would cost “if we decided to go that route,” Bransfield said.
The federal Centers for Disease Control says EEE typically occurs in three to 15 cases a year, and that a third of the people who are bitten will die.
Other victims may suffer prolonged neurological problems, the federal agency said.
The Chatham Health District, which serves the towns of Portland East Hampton, has issued a series of guidelines to help residents prevent from being bitten by an infected mosquito.
Those recommendations include: Avoiding outdoor activities during peak mosquito biting times, from dusk to dawn; applying insect repellent when outdoors, covering up with longsleeved shirts, pants, and socks to help keep mosquitoes away from the skin; draining standing water around properties; and installing or repairing window and/or door screens.