Connecticut

Norwich Ending Outdoor Activities by Dusk Due to EEE Concerns

The move comes after an adult resident from a nearby community tested positive for EEE.

The city of Norwich has announced it is ending all outdoor activities on any city fields by dusk after the first human case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis was identified in Connecticut.

The Norwich Recreation Department announced Tuesday that they are canceling any use of fields after 6:30 p.m. each night in response to the EEE threat. Norwich Free Academy is doing the same.

Officials said the city will work with groups to reschedule games and practices. Organizers can contact the city at 860-823-3791 to work out new reservations.

The city of New London also announced it was ending all outdoor city and city-sponsored events by dusk in response to the EEE threat. 

This comes after an adult resident from a neighboring community tested positive for EEE.

EEE is a rare disease, but 30 percent of people who catch it die, and survivors typically suffer ongoing neurological problems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The disease has been found in mosquitos in 12 towns, including Chester, Haddam, Hampton, Groton, Killingworth, Ledyard, Madison, North Stonington, Plainfield, Shelton, Stonington, and Voluntown. Horses have tested positive for EEE in Colchester and Columbia.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health urges residents to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites, and hold off on activities like camping around freshwater swamps, where the mosquitoes that transmit EEE are most active.

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