For some, the high-pitched buzz of a mosquito has become even more sinister than usual. In Massachusetts, a coastal county called Plymouth has shut down its parks and fields between dusk and dawn in response to the town’s “high-risk status” of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), a rare, but severely fatal mosquito-borne illness. It's also known as "triple E" or sleeping sickness and gets part of its name from the fact that it infects horses as well as humans.
According to a public health department press release, athletic leagues and other organizations utilizing public parks and fields will be prohibited from continuing outdoor activities beyond dusk. Signs have been placed at all public parks and fields to emphasize this message.
