BOSTON (WHDH) - The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) on Saturday announced plans to conduct aerial spraying for mosquitoes in areas of Plymouth County, and truck-mounted spraying in parts of Worcester County.
As of Saturday, 10 communities in Massachusetts have been raised to high or critical risk for the Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus by DPH.
The State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board (SRMCB), with the assistance of MDAR, will conduct and monitor aerial spraying in parts of Plymouth County and oversee truck-mounted ground spraying in parts of Worcester County.
The eight communities in the aerial spray zone are Carver, Halifax, Kingston, Middleborough, Plymouth, Plympton, Rochester, and Wareham.
The five communities in the truck spray zone are Douglas, Dudley, Oxford, Sutton, and Uxbridge.
Details on the exact timing will be provided as soon as possible, but spraying is expected to occur during the week of Aug. 26. Spraying is scheduled to take place at night, starting shortly after dusk and ending in the early morning. Please be aware that this schedule is weather-dependent and may change on short notice. Residents will be able to visit DPH’s website for further information as it is made available.
EEE is a rare but serious and potentially fatal disease that can affect people of all ages. On August 16, DPH announced this year’s first human case of EEE virus infection, a male in his 80s who was exposed to EEE in Worcester County. During the last EEE outbreak in Massachusetts in 2019-2020, there were 17 human cases and seven deaths.
The pesticide used is Anvil 10+10, an EPA-registered product extensively tested and used in both ground-level and aerial spraying in the U.S. to control mosquitoes. Compounds in this product have proven to be highly effective in killing mosquitoes worldwide for over 20 years.
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