Health
Northeastern towns issue voluntary lockdown to prevent spread of mosquito-borne disease
Four Massachusetts towns — Douglas, Oxford, Sutton and Webster — have enacted a voluntary evening lockdown in an attempt to curb the spread of a potentially deadly mosquito-borne disease.
The decision comes after the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) confirmed the first human case of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) since 2020 in Worcester County.
On Wednesday, the Oxford Board of Health voted to support the recommendation for people to remain indoors after 6:00 p.m., effective immediately, through Sept. 30, according to a public health advisory shared with Fox News Digital.
SALMONELLA OUTBREAK CAUSED BY TINY TURTLES, CDC WARNS, WITH CASES ACROSS 21 STATES
Starting on Oct. 1, the recommendation is to remain indoors after 5:00 p.m. until the first hard frost.
The period from dusk through dawn is considered “peak mosquito hours,” the notice stated.
Four Massachusetts towns — Douglas, Oxford, Sutton and Webster — have enacted a voluntary evening lockdown in an attempt to curb the spread of a potentially deadly mosquito-borne disease. (iStock)
The advisory designates the four communities as “critical-risk.”
“It is the Board of Health’s responsibility to protect the public health, and we take EEE very seriously, and we are strongly encouraging residents to follow these recommendations due to the severity of EEE and the fact that it is in our community,” a spokesperson for the town of Oxford said in an email to Fox News Digital.
PARVOVIRUS OR ‘SLAPPED CHEEK DISEASE’ IS ON THE RISE, CDC WARNS: HERE’S WHAT TO KNOW
“So far this year in Massachusetts, there has only been one human case of EEE, but throughout the state, mosquitoes have tested positive for EEE.”
The infected person, who lives in Oxford, remains “hospitalized and courageously battling this virus,” according to a Wednesday memo from the Oxford town manager that was provided to Fox News Digital.
The lockdowns are considered recommendations, and there will be no enforcement if residents do not comply, the town spokesperson said.
Eastern equine encephalitis is caused by a virus that is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito, according to the CDC, which describes it as a “rare but serious disease.” (Reuters/CDC/James Gathany)
“We want to educate our residents about EEE and the seriousness of the illness and make them aware of the risk,” the statement continued.
“However, if they want to use town fields outside these recommendations, they will have to show proof of insurance and sign an indemnification form.”
WITH MPOX A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY IN AFRICA, WHAT YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT INCREASED VIRUS RISK
Oxford is working with the other three critical-risk communities, with all four issuing these same recommendations, the spokesperson confirmed.
“Schools are working to reschedule and adjust their sports schedules so practices and games occur before these evening times and on weekends,” the email noted.
Fox News Digital reached out to Oxford Public Schools for comment.
What is Eastern equine encephalitis?
Eastern equine encephalitis is caused by a virus that is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which describes EEE as a “rare but serious disease.”
“Eastern equine encephalitis can cause brain infection (encephalitis), which can be fatal.”
Only a few cases are reported in the U.S. each year, most in the Eastern or Gulf Coast states, the agency states on its website.
Humans and other animals that contract the virus are considered “dead-end hosts,” the CDC states, which means they can’t spread it to mosquitoes that bite them.
Older people and immunocompromised persons are at the highest risk for mosquito-borne encephalitis, an expert said. (iStock)
Common symptoms of EEE include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, stiff neck, seizures, behavioral changes and drowsiness.
These usually appear five to 10 days after being bitten.
The disease can be deadly, resulting in fatalities for 30% of infected people. It can also lead to chronic neurological deficiencies, per the CDC.
‘ZIKA-LIKE’ MOSQUITO-BORNE VIRUS HAS SPREAD INTO EUROPE, HEALTH OFFICIALS WARN
“Eastern equine encephalitis can cause brain infection (encephalitis), which can be fatal,” Edward Liu, MD, chief of infectious diseases at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, told Fox News Digital.
Older people and those who are immunocompromised are at the highest risk for mosquito-borne encephalitis, according to Liu.
Prevention of mosquito bites is the most effective means of protecting against the disease, experts say. (iStock)
Dr. John Ayers, vice chief of innovation in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at the University of California, San Diego, confirmed to Fox News Digital that EEE is “serious but extraordinarily rare.”
“Without any overt prevention measures, cases remain substantially rarer than being struck by lightning,” he said.
Prevention and treatment
The fact that local mosquitoes have the virus and one Massachusetts patient has become infected is “concerning,” Liu said.
“While evening lockdowns could be protective, other options would be educating the public of the risk, encouraging mosquito repellent usage, and spraying to prevent the prevalence of mosquitoes,” he advised.
Ayers added, “I don’t think there is anything you can do to meaningfully lower your individual chances of illness, because they’re already so low.”
“These viral encephalitides have no treatment, so prevention and supportive care is the only course of action.”
He agrees that typical strategies to deal with mosquito vector diseases are to kill the mosquitoes, reduce areas with standing water where they can nest and spray to kill their larvae.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
“These viral encephalitides have no treatment, so prevention and supportive care is the only course of action,” Liu noted.
There is currently no vaccine for Eastern equine encephalitis.
For more Health articles, visit foxnews/health
Prevention of mosquito bites is the best way to prevent infection, the CDC confirmed.
Fox News Digital reached out to the CDC for additional comment.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
As colorectal cancer (CRC) is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50, a new report reveals some surprising shifts in the incidence of the disease.
Although rates of CRC have been declining among seniors, those 65 and under are facing a rise in diagnoses, according to a report titled Colorectal Cancer Statistics, 2026, from the American Cancer Society.
Adults 65 and younger comprise nearly half (45%) of all new colorectal cancer cases — a significant increase from 27% in 1995, states the report, which was published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
The disease is rising fastest among adults 20 to 49 years old, at a rate of 3% per year.
Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50. (iStock)
Among adults 50 and under, 75% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Half of the diagnoses in that age range are made between the ages of 45 and 49. Although that age group is eligible to receive routine screenings, just 37% do so.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
The report also revealed that rectal cancer is on the rise, now accounting for about one-third (32%) of all CRC cases — an increase from 27% in the mid-2000s.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
“After decades of progress, the risk of dying from colorectal cancer is climbing in younger generations of men and women, confirming a real uptick in disease because of something we’re doing or some other exposure,” said Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director, surveillance research at the American Cancer Society and lead author of the report, in a press release.
Among adults 50 and under, 75% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Half of the diagnoses in that age range are made between the ages of 45 and 49. (iStock)
“We need to redouble research efforts to understand the cause, but also circumvent deaths through earlier detection by educating clinicians and the general public about symptoms and increasing screening in people 45-54 years.”
It is projected that 158,850 new cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed this year, and that the disease will cause 55,230 deaths, per the report.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
More than half of CRC cases can be linked to high-risk behaviors, the researchers said. Those include lack of nutrition, high alcohol consumption, smoking, lack of exercise and obesity.
“These findings further underscore that colorectal cancer is worsening among younger generations and highlight the immediate need for eligible adults to begin screening at the recommended age of 45,” said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer at the American Cancer Society.
When the disease is caught at a local (early) stage, the five-year survival rate is 95%. (iStock)
“The report also shines a light on the crucial importance of continued funding for research to help discover new therapies to treat the disease and advance patient care.”
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
When the disease is caught at a local (early) stage, the five-year survival rate is 95%, the report stated.
Related Article
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A new study suggests that middle-aged men may be more vulnerable to faster biological aging, potentially linked to exposure to “forever chemicals.”
The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Aging, examined how perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly known as PFAS, could impact aging at the cellular level.
PFAS are synthetic chemicals commonly used in nonstick cookware, food packaging, water-resistant fabrics and other consumer products, the study noted.
Their chemical structure makes them highly resistant to breaking down, allowing them to accumulate in water, soil and the human body.
Chinese researchers analyzed blood samples from 326 adults enrolled in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2000.
A new study suggests that middle-aged men could face accelerated biological aging at the cellular level due to exposure to PFAS. (iStock)
The researchers measured levels of 11 PFAS compounds in participants’ blood and used DNA-based “epigenetic clocks” — tools that analyze chemical changes to DNA to estimate biological age — to determine how quickly their bodies were aging at the cellular level, the study stated.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Two compounds, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA), were detected in 95% of participants.
Higher concentrations of those chemicals were associated with faster biological aging in men of certain age groups, but not in women.
“People should not panic.”
The compounds most strongly linked to accelerated aging were not the PFAS chemicals that typically receive the most public attention, the researchers noted.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“The associations were strongest in adults aged 50 to 64, particularly in men,” Dr. Xiangwei Li, professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and the study’s corresponding author, told Fox News Digital.
“While this does not establish that PFAS cause aging, it suggests that these widely present ‘forever chemicals’ may be linked to molecular changes related to long-term health and aging.”
The study found that two of the compounds were detected in 95% of participants, and higher levels were linked to faster biological aging in men ages 50–64. (iStock)
Midlife may represent a more sensitive biological period, when the body becomes more vulnerable to age-related stressors, according to the researchers.
Lifestyle factors, such as smoking, may influence biological aging markers, potentially increasing vulnerability to environmental pollutants.
While Li said “people should not panic,” she does recommend looking for reasonable ways to reduce exposure.
That might mean checking local drinking water reports, using certified water filters designed to reduce PFAS, and limiting the use of stain- or grease-resistant products when alternatives are available.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES
Meaningful reductions in PFAS exposure will likely depend on broader regulatory action and environmental cleanup efforts, Li added.
The researchers noted that midlife could be a particularly sensitive stage, when the body is more susceptible to stressors associated with aging. (iStock)
Study limitations
The researchers outlined several important limitations of the research, including that the findings show an association, but do not prove that PFAS directly causes accelerated aging.
“The study is cross-sectional, meaning exposure and aging markers were measured at the same time, so we cannot determine causality,” Li told Fox News Digital.
The study was also relatively small, limited to 326 adults age 50 or older, which means the findings may not apply to younger people or broader populations.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Researchers measured PFAS levels using data collected between 1999 and 2000, and today’s exposure patterns may differ.
Li added that while PFAS is known to persist in the environment and the body, these results should be validated through larger, more recent studies that follow participants over time.
Related Article
Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.
Use escape to exit the menu.
Sign Up
Create a free account to access exclusive content, play games, solve puzzles, test your pop-culture knowledge and receive special offers.
Already have an account? Login
Detroit Tigers 2026 roster prediction 2.0: Is Kevin McGonigle ready?
Latest California-based gig work app lets people book content creators, editors
Study says the real value of a $100K salary in Dallas is…less than that
Miami’s own Marcello Hernandez delivers special tribute to former teacher on SNL
When did Southie get richy-rich? – The Boston Globe
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
DHS defends McLaughlin against allegations husband’s company profited millions from ad contracts: ‘Baseless’
Sánchez defies Trump in political gamble as Madrid say no to war
Satellite images show Iran school strike hit more buildings than earlier reported
US submarine sinks Iranian warship by torpedo in a first since World War II
Which oil and gas facilities in the Gulf have been attacked?
-
World1 week agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Wisconsin3 days agoSetting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin
-
Maryland4 days agoAM showers Sunday in Maryland
-
Denver, CO1 week ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Florida4 days agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Massachusetts2 days agoMassachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks
-
Oregon6 days ago2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling