Dear fellow Hanoverians:
\nThis just in from the Board of Health!
\n* *
\n*TOWN OF HANOVER*
\nBoard of Health
\n550 Hanover Street, Suite 17
\nHanover, MA 02339
\nTel: 781-826-4611
\nFax: 781-826-5289<\/p>\n
*Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE)*
\n*Frequently Asked Questions*
\n*Updated July 20, 2012*<\/p>\n
As you may be aware, they have found mosquitos that have tested
\npositive for the Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in the towns of
\nEaston and Carver. While there have been no positive test results in
\nHanover, the Board of Health is supplying all residents with the
\nfollowing information:<\/p>\n
*What is Eastern Equine Encephalitis?*<\/p>\n
Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is a rare but serious disease caused
\nby a virus.<\/p>\n
*How is the EEE virus spread?*<\/p>\n
The virus that causes EEE is spread through the bite of an infected
\nmosquito. In Massachusetts, the virus is most often identified in
\nmosquitoes found in and around freshwater, hardwood swamps. More
\ninformation about different types of mosquitoes that can spread the
\nvirus can be found on the MDPH website at http:\/\/www.mass.gov\/dph
\n.<\/p>\n
EEE virus particularly infects birds, often with no evidence of
\nillness in the bird. Mosquitoes become infected when they bite
\ninfected birds. Although humans and several other types of mammals,
\nparticularly horses and llamas, can become infected, they do not
\nspread disease.<\/p>\n
*What are the symptoms of EEE?*<\/p>\n
The first symptoms of EEE are fever (often 103\u00ba to106\u00baF), stiff
\nneck, headache, and lack of energy. These symptoms show up three to
\nten days after a bite from an infected mosquito. Inflammation and
\nswelling of the brain, called encephalitis, is the most dangerous and
\nfrequent serious complication. The disease gets worse quickly and some
\npatients may go into coma within a week.<\/p>\n
*What is the treatment for EEE?*<\/p>\n
There is no treatment for EEE. In Massachusetts, about half of the
\npeople identified with EEE died from the infection. People who survive
\nthis disease will often be permanently disabled. Few people recover
\ncompletely.<\/p>\n
*What can you do to protect yourself from EEE?*<\/p>\n
Since the virus that causes EEE is spread by mosquitoes, here are some
\nthings you can do to reduce your chances of being bitten: <\/p>\n
\u00b7 Schedule outdoor events to avoid the hours between dusk and dawn,
\nwhen mosquitoes are most active.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 When you are outdoors, wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt and
\nsocks. This may be difficult to do when the weather is hot, but it
\nwill help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.
\n\u00b7 Use a repellent with *DEET* (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide),
\n*permethrin, picaridin* (KBR 3023), *IR3535
\n(*3-[N-butyl-N-acetyl]-aminopropionic acid) or *oil of lemon
\neucalyptus* [p-menthane 3, 8-diol (PMD)] according to the instructions
\ngiven on the product label. DEET products should not be used on
\ninfants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations
\nof 30% or less on older children. Oil of lemon Eucalyptus should not
\nbe used on children under three years of age. Permethrin products are
\nintended for use on items such as clothing, shoes, bed nets and
\ncamping gear and should not be applied to skin. More information on
\nchoosing and using repellents safely is included in the MDPH Fact
\nSheet on Mosquito Repellents which can be viewed online at
\nhttp:\/\/www.mass.gov\/dph
\n. If you can\u2019t go online, contact the MDPH at (617) 983-6800 for a
\nhard copy.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Keep mosquitoes out of your house by repairing any holes in your
\nscreens and making sure they are tightly attached to all your doors
\nand windows.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Remove areas of standing water around your home. Here are some
\nsuggestions:
\n\u00d8Look around outside your house for containers and other things that
\nmight collect water and turn them over, regularly empty them, or
\ndispose of them.
\n\u00d8Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers that are left
\noutdoors so that water can drain out.
\n\u00d8Clean clogged roof gutters; remove leaves and debris that may
\nprevent drainage of rainwater.
\n\u00d8Turn over plastic wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use.
\n\u00d8Change the water in birdbaths every few days; aerate ornamental
\nponds or stock them with fish.
\n\u00d8Keep swimming pools clean and properly chlorinated; remove standing
\nwater from pool covers.
\n\u00d8Use landscaping to eliminate standing water that collects on your
\nproperty.<\/p>\n
*Is the State considering Aerial Spraying?*<\/p>\n
*Yes, but not in Hanover*, the Mass Dept. of Public Health will be
\ncoordinating aerial spraying in the following towns starting Friday
\nJuly 20, 2012 and continue for approximately three days thru July 22,
\n2012. The towns that will conduct aerial spraying are: Acushnet,
\nBerkley, Bridgewater, Carver, Dighton, East Bridgewater, Easton,
\nFreetown, Halifax, Hanson, Kingston, Lakeville, Middleboro, Norton,
\nPembroke, Plymouth, Raynham, Rehoboth, Rochester, Taunton and West
\nBridgewater*. Again Hanover is not being sprayed, but keep in mind,
\neven in the Towns that are being sprayed, this is not a magic fix and
\ndoes not guarantee that all mosquitos will be killed, therefore,
\nsafety precautions should still be adhered to. *<\/p>\n
*Where can I get more information?*
\n\u00b7 *EEE and personal protection: *MDPH, Division of Epidemiology and
\nImmunization at 617-983-6800 or online at http:\/\/www.mass.gov\/dph
\n. You may also contact your local board of health (listed in the
\ntelephone directory under \u201cgovernment\u201d).
\n\u00b7 Mosquito control in your city or town*: Mosquito control in
\nMassachusetts is conducted through nine mosquito control districts.
\nThe State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board (SRMCB) oversee all
\nnine districts. Contact information for each district can be found
\nonline at http:\/\/www.mass.gov\/agr\/mosquito\/districts.htm
\n. You may also contact the SRMCB within the Massachusetts Department
\nof Agricultural Resources at 617-626-1777 or your local board of
\nhealth*.
\n\u00b7 *You can also fax your Name, Address and Telephone number to
\nPlymouth County Mosquito Control at 781-582-1276 and they will
\nschedule your home for spraying. You can have your home sprayed up to
\neight times during the summer months ending on Labor Day.*
\n\u00b7 *Health effects of pesticides*: MDPH, Center for Environmental
\nHealthat 617-624-5757 <\/p>\n
For more information, please contact Tony Marino, Director of
\nCommunity Services for the Town of Hanover at
\ncommunityservices@hanover-ma.gov<\/p>\n
.<\/p>\n
For “Around Town on the Web”,
\nCathy H-B<\/p>\n
—
\n“Around Town on the Web” (“ATOTW”) is a community service that has been
\nprovided to self-selected residents of the Town of Hanover since the spring
\nof 2004.
\nFor submission guidelines and answers to frequently asked questions about
\n“ATOTW”, please go to http:\/\/www.atotw.com.
\nTo search for archived “ATOTW” news, view the archive.
\nIf you would like to be added to this distribution list, click here. Please
\nfollow the link in the response e-mail to validate your account. You will
\nnot receive “ATOTW” e-mails until you complete this step.
\nIf you would like to be removed from this distribution list, click here.<\/p>\n
—
\nPowered by PHPlist, www.phplist.com —<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dear fellow Hanoverians: This just in from the Board of Health! * * *TOWN OF HANOVER* Board of Health 550 Hanover Street, Suite 17 Hanover, MA 02339 Tel: 781-826-4611 Fax: 781-826-5289 *Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE)* *Frequently Asked Questions* *Updated July … Continue reading