The Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources conducted aerial spraying for mosquitoes twice in southeastern Massachusetts; first from August 8-11 and again from August 21-25.
Aerial spraying for mosquitoes occurred in New Bedford Friday, August 23 into the early morning of Saturday, August 24. On Friday, August 23, a deceased bird found in the Buttonwood Park area of New Bedford was tested and found positive for EEE. New Bedford and surrounding municipalities have had multiple positive tests of bird-biting and mammal-biting mosquitoes with EEE, leading to the classification of the risk in Greater New Bedford as ‘critical’ for EEE.
In total, there are 28 communities now at critical risk, 37 at high risk, and 126 at moderate risk for the EEE virus in Massachusetts. Many communities were raised to moderate risk based on current EEE activity and on patterns of historical risk. A map of the state’s current EEE risk levels can be found here. There have been four confirmed human cases of EEE this year.
Targeted ground spraying for mosquitoes is planned in New Bedford for Friday, August 30 and again on Tuesday, September 3. Full details: https://www.newbedfordguide.com/targeted-ground-spraying-7/2019/08/29