EEE Mosquitoes Spread To Plymouth County

Massachusetts health officials say they have found mammal-biting mosquitoes infected with Eastern equine encephalitis have been found in the communities of Carver and Kingston.  Health officials have raised the EEE threat level to "high'' in Carver and `moderate'' in Kingston.

They say the threat in Plymouth, which borders both towns, has been also been raised to ``moderate.''  Officials are recommending that people avoid outdoor evening events for the rest of the summer. Ground-based mosquito spraying in those towns will be stepped up.

EEE-bearing mosquitoes have been found at dangerous levels in several southeastern Massachusetts communities, including New Bedford, where aerial and ground spraying have been conducted.  There has been one confirmed human case of EEE this year, in a Metrowest-area resident believed to have contracted it out-of-state.  Two EEE cases were reported last year, one fatal.

[Via AP]