Oxford Public Schools has changed its sports schedule to prevent possible infections of Eastern Equine Encephalitis, or EEE, according to Oxford Superintendent of Schools Michael Lucas.
Oxford, along with the towns of Sutton, Douglas and Webster, has been labeled by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) as “critical risk” areas for catching the disease after it was announced on Aug. 16 that an Oxford resident tested positive for EEE.
In response, the town’s board of health approved an outdoor curfew on Aug 21., stating that all outdoor activities would have to finish by 6 p.m. through Sept. 30 and before 5 p.m. from Oct. 1 until the first frost arrives.
The town managers of Sutton, Douglas and Webster did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Lucas told MassLive that Oxford Public Schools changed their schedule so that all outdoor practices would end by 6 p.m.— acting in compliance with the board of health. The most significant changes to the athletics schedule are the nighttime football and soccer games being rescheduled to Friday and Saturday afternoons.
“The biggest loss for our kids unfortunately and our high school community and our town is we can’t have Friday night football games or night soccer games,” Lucas said. “Those will be moved to the daytime either at 3 o’clock on Friday afternoons and 1 o’clock on Saturdays.”
In an email sent to parents over the weekend, Lucas informed them of the schedule change and provided them with a link to the DPH’s webpage on mosquito-borne disease for further information.
The town’s curfew has also affected the practice sessions of the Oxford Youth Soccer Association, volunteer ran-board that organizes sessions for youth soccer in the fall and spring.
Paul Smith, the organization’s vice president, said the decision to have a 6 p.m. curfew makes it difficult for soccer players to practice, as they practice during weeknights when students finish school. He told MassLive that the curfew may result in athletes not being able to practice at all in the fall.
Smith took some issue with the 6 p.m. curfew set by the board of health, arguing the time does not align with the DPH’s or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCs) recommendations that events not be held between dusk and dawn. He said the risk window do not match because, as of now, 6 p.m. far earlier than sunset in Worcester — which is now around 7:30 p.m. While he acknowledges the concern of the board of health, Smith said the curfew needed to “make sense.”
“It’s not consistent with what the state or CDC have recommended,” Smith said of the curfew. “We want to follow the town’s recommendations but the recommendations don’t make sense.”
Smith said he plans to meet with the Board of Health on Wednesday to better understand the reason for the curfew.
In addition to having a curfew — Oxford, along with the towns Douglas, Dudley, Uxbridge and Sutton — are set to be sprayed this week with mosquito killer, according to DPH. Trucks will be spraying the chemicals at night, shortly after dusk, per the department’s website. There will also be aerial sprayings in Plymouth County, specifically in Carver, Halifax, Kingston, Middleborough, Plymouth, Plympton, Rochester and Wareham.
The recent infection of the Oxford resident is the first time since 2020 a human case of EEE was reported in Worcester County.
Risks of EEE
Dr. George M. Abraham, chief of medicine, director of the division of infectious diseases and geographic medicine and hospital epidemiologist at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester, told MassLive that there are, on average, one to two cases of EEE a year, with infections being relatively rare. He said that complications from being infected are also rare — but can very serious.
These complications from EEE could result in neurological damage and in some cases — death, according to Abraham. He notes there is no cure for EEE and every human case is a “potential risk.”
“Some people could succumb to their illnesses or they might be left with some permanent brain deficits,” Abraham said. “It could mimic anything from strokes to dementia.”
To better protect oneself from EEE, Abraham recommends people check their property to see if there is standing or stagnant water. Areas with standing water, which is water that doesn’t flow, are breeding grounds for mosquitos, according to Abraham. He also recommends not going out from dusk until dawn unless you wear long-sleeved clothing or have applied insect repellent, such as DEET.
“If you can avoid dawn and dusk at that point in time, thats fine,” he said. “In the day time you can be out but in the night time don’t be out.”
