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10/07/2019 12:00 AMOfficials in North Haven are taking the threat of eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEE) seriously.
So seriously, in fact, that they have adopted a new town policy that stops sports and recreational outdoor programs and activities on all town and Board of Education fields and parks by 6:30 p.m. On Monday, Oct. 7, the suspension will begin at 6 p.m.
The decision to impose the curfew-like policy on town property was made jointly by Superintendent of Schools Patrick Stirk, First Selectman Mike Freda, Director of Athletics Steve Blumenthal, Fire Chief Paul Januszewski, and Police Chief Thomas McLoughlin.
It was “based upon several deaths and illness related to EEE in Connecticut as well as the information provided to us from the Quinnipiack Valley Health Department (QVHD) and the State of Connecticut Department of Health,” Freda stated in an email.
“As far as enforcement, if a town park, or field is closed at a certain time, anyone found there will be trespassing,” said North Haven deputy chief of Police Kevin Glenn. “Simple trespass is an infraction.”
Stirk is “very pleased with the town’s decision to impose a curfew. They continually act in the best interest of our students and the community.”
Stirk and his administration are also “taking precautions with after-school activities. We have altered our middle and high school athletic schedules to ensure that games and practices are completed prior to dusk. Our athletic director is in constant contact with other districts to ensure player and staff safety when traveling to away games.”
Residents have not given “any pushback related to the suspension of evening recreational activities. I believe that our residents understand the importance of erring on the side of caution to protect our youth, as well as the parents and coaches,” he added.
The town will make a decision on lifting the policy after the first hard frost, when the risk of EEE is reduced based on smaller mosquito populations. A hard freeze or frost is when temperatures fall below 28℉, as defined by the National Weather Service.
Spraying to control the mosquito population in North Haven is not imminent, said Freda.
The decision to spray is one “that would be jointly made based on many factors [including] positive mosquitoes, the kind of mosquitoes, the incidents of animals contracting the disease, and whether it is a critical risk to the community,” said QVHD Director of Health Leslie Balch. “It would not be my first defense.”
Balch suggests that residents can take their own precautionary measures such as staying indoors from dusk to dawn (when mosquitoes are most active), using insect repellent, and covering bare skin if outdoors.
Balch’s office recently notified the public in a Sept. 30 written statement that the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station identified the EEE virus in mosquitoes that were trapped in Bethany the week prior.
Although this group of black-tailed mosquito known scientifically as Cs. melanura tested positive, officials consider them a minimal threat to humans as they prefer to feed on birds.
In spite of a reduced risk, Balch thinks the town of North Haven did the right thing, to send a uniform message to the community.
“North Haven has rescheduled activities between dusk and dawn for their residents to be consistent with other official directives and the recommendations made by Quinnipiac University to suspend activities,” said Balch.
Balch added that the policy in North Haven will “help residents make an informed decision to prevent mosquito bites and possibly contracting the viruses [mosquitoes] can carry such as West Nile, EEE, or any other diseases identified in our area.”
On Oct. 1, the state Department of Public Health (DPH) announced the death of the third person diagnosed with EEE this year in Connecticut and the diagnosis of EEE in a fourth person who remains hospitalized after five weeks.
“Sadly, this has been an unprecedented year for EEE activity in Connecticut,” said DPH State Epidemiologist Dr. Matthew Cartter in an Oct. 1 written statement. “Before this year, we have had only one human case of EEE in Connecticut, and that was in 2013.”
Cartter stated that the risk of becoming infected with EEE from the lower Connecticut River valley to the Rhode Island border “is low, but not zero.”
Most persons infected with EEE have no apparent illness, however some can be very ill. Severe cases of EEE (involving encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain) begin with the sudden onset of headache, high fever, chills, and vomiting 4 to 10 days after a mosquito bite. The illness may then progress to disorientation, seizures, or coma.
EEE is one of the most severe mosquito-transmitted diseases in the U.S. About one-third of people with EEE die from the disease and there is significant brain damage in most survivors. While there is a vaccine for horses, there is no vaccine for people, according to DPH.
The management of mosquitoes in Connecticut is a collaborative effort involving the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and the DPH, together with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Pathobiology at the University of Connecticut.