EEE threat 'high' in Wareham, athletic fields to be sprayed

Sep 11, 2012

The risk level for Eastern Equine Encephalitis,"EEE," has been raised to "high" in Wareham after a horse stabled in Rochester was confirmed infected on Tuesday, September 11, according to the Wareham Board of Health.

Plymouth County Mosquito Control unit will be spraying pesticide on the athletic grounds of Decas Elementary, Minot Forest Elementary, Wareham Middle School, and Wareham High School in the early morning hours of Friday, September 14, in an effort to remove mosquitoes from those areas.

Officials recommend that residents reschedule outdoor evening events in areas with "high" and "critical" risk levels, in order to avoid the peak mosquito activity period between dusk and dawn.

The School Department has begun rescheduling its outdoor evening activities. All will end by 6 p.m.

The risk level for Triple E has been raised to "critical" in Rochester. The risk level has been raised to "high" in the neighboring towns of Freetown, Acushnet, and Marion.

The horse was confirmed infected with EEE by the State Laboratory Institute. The animal became ill and was euthanized on September 6, according to the Board of Health.

The towns of Middleboro, Lakeville, and Mattapoisett are already considered to be at high risk, according to the Board of Health.