(MM)
BUT FIRST--
WE ARE WORKING BREAKING NEWS--
ON THE------ TWO FINDINGS
OF----- EASTERN EQUINE
ENCEPHALITIS IN MOSQUITOS IN
RHODE ISLAND.
(HE)
THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
IS RECOMMENDING TO SCHOOLS--
THAT GAMES--
PRACTICES AND OTHER OUTDOORS
ACTIVITIES--
BE RESCHEDULED TO EARLIER IN THE
AFTERNOON--
OR MOVED INSIDE.
(MM)
THIS IS INTENDED TO CUT DOWN ON
THE RISK OF MOSQUITO BITES--
AFTER TRIPLE E WAS FOUND IN
MOSQUITOS IN CENTRAL FALLS.
(HE)
MEANWHILE--
WE'RE LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE
MASSACHUSETTS WOMAN WHO FAMILY
MEMBERS SAY DIED FROM TRIPLE E.
FAMILY AND FRIENDS HAVE
IDENTIFIED THE FAIRHAVEN WOMAN
AS LAURIE SYLVIA - A MOTHER AND
WIFE -
WHO DIED OVER THE WEEKEND.
(MM)
EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTER KIM
KALUNIAN IS IN FAIRHAVEN TONIGHT
-
WHERE FOLKS SAY----- THEY'RE
TAKING EXTRA PRECATIONS TO
PROTECT THEMSELVES AGAINST THIS
POTENTIALLY DEADLY VIRUS.
KIM?
MIKE, SHANNON - PEOPLE HERE IN
FAIRHAVEN AND NEW BEDFORD SAY
IT'S SCARY TO KNOW A PERSON HAS
DIED FROM THIS VIRUS - THE FIRST
TIME THAT'S HAPPENED HERE IN
MASSACHUSETTS SINCE 2013.
LAURIE SYLVIA DESCRIBED AS
BUBBLY - FULL OF LIFE - A ROCK
TO HER FAMILY.
THE FAIRHAVEN WOMAN DIED THIS
WEEKEND ACCORDING TO FAMILY AND
FRIENDS - AFTER FALLING ILL WITH
TRIPLE E - A MOSQUITO BORNE
ILLNESS THAT CAN SOMETIMES BE
DEADLY.
SYLVIA'S HUSBAND'S UNION -
TEAMSTERS LOCAL 59 - POSTING A
PHOTO OF HER THIS WEEKEND,
SAYING SHE HAD BEEN SENT TO
TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER FOR
TREATMENT OF TRIPLE E. TUFTS
CONFIRMING TO EYEWITNESS NEWS
THEY DID HAVE A FATAL CASE OF
THE VIRUS THERE.
I think it's heartbreaking you
know you're living your life one
day and you're outside doing
something in your yard just
hanging around with your kids
and the next day you've got a
devastating disease that takes
you away from your family. It's
heartbreaking.
FOLKS IN FAIRHAVEN AND
NEIGHBORING NEW BEDFORD THAT WE
SPOKE WITH SAY THEY'RE ON ALERT
- TAKING PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT
THEMSELVES AGAINST THE DISEASE.
I make sure when I go out at
night that I'm sprayed get out
of the car quickly get in and
out of the house as quick as I
can.
OFFICIALS HAVE CONDUCTED AERIAL
SPRAYING IN BOTH BRISTOL AND
PLYMOUTH COUNTIES - AND WILL
CONTINUE IN WORCESTER AND
MIDDLESEX COUNTIES IN MASS
TONIGHT -
SYLVIA'S REPORTED DIAGNOSIS OF
TRIPLE E IS THE FOURTH CONFIRMED
HUMAN CASE OF THE VIRUS IN
MASSACHUSETTS THIS YEAR.
IN FAIRHAVEN THE TOWN IS
LIMITING ALL ACTIVITIES AFTER
DUSK WHEN MOSQUITOES ARE MOST
ACTIVE
WHILE RESIDENTS SAY THEY'RE
ALARMED - THEY'RE ALSO HOPING
FOR THE BEST.
is it scary? Sure. When it hits
home, it's a human it's scary,
but you can't stop doing what
you're doing.
RHODE ISLAND HAS MOSQUITOES THAT
HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR TRIPLE
E BUT NO HUMAN CASES SINCE 2010
- COMING UP NEW AT 6 WE'LL TAKE
A LOOK AT JUST HOW RARE IT IS
FOR SOMEONE TO CONTRACT AND DIE
FROM TRIPLE E. IN FAIRHAVEN, KK
(HE)
FIRST --- BREAKING NEWS
RHODE ISLAND'S DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH IS RECOMMENDING SCHOOLS
RE-SCHEDULE OUTSIDE ACTIVITES,
BECAUSE OF THE RISK FROM
DISEASE-CARRYING MOSQUITOES.
(MM)
THEY SAY SCHOOLS -----SHOULD
CONSIDER EITHER HOLDING THEM
EARLIER IN THE DAY---- OR MOVING
THEM INDOORS.
RHODE ISLAND HEALTH OFFICIALS
SAY---- SO FAR THIS SEASON-----
TWO MOSQUITO SAMPLES HAVE TESTED
POSITIVE FOR EASTERN EQUINE
ENCEPHALITIS -- BOTH WERE IN
CENTRAL FALLS EARLIER THIS
MONTH.
HOWEVER, THE MOSQUITO REPORT
FROM THE D-E-M ON FRIDAY, SAID
----THE MOST RECENT SAMPLES
STATEWIDE TESTED NEGATIVE FOR
BOTH TRIPLE-E AND WEST NILE
VIRUS.
(HE)
MEANWHILE IN SOUTHEASTERN MASS,
RESIDENTS IN FAIRHAVEN ARE ON
HIGH ALERT AFTER A WOMAN THERE
DIED FROM "TRIPLE E."
(MM)
THE MOSQUITO BORNE ILLNESS IS
RARE IN HUMANS - BUT IT CAN BE
DEADLY.
EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTER KIM
KALUNIAN JOINS US FROM FAIRHAVEN
NOW WITH WHAT SHE'S LEARNED.
FRIENDS AND FAMILY ARE
IDENTIFYING THE VICTIM AS LAURIE
SYLVIA, A WIFE AND MOTHER IN HER
50'S THAT LIVED RIGHT HERE IN
FAIRHAVEN. NOW RESIDENTS HERE
AND IN OTHER LOCAL COMMUNITIES
ARE TAKING STEPS TO ENSURE
THEY'RE PROTECTED AGAINST THIS
POTENTIALLY DEADLY DISEASE.
EASTERN EQUINE ENCEPHALITIS -
THE MOSQUITO BORNE VIRUS KNOWN
AS TRIPLE E - NOW CONFIRMED IN A
FOURTH MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENT.
FAMILY AND FRIENDS SAYING LAURIE
SYLVIA DIED THIS WEEKEND AT
TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER - THE
HOSPITAL CONFIRMING THEY HAD A
DEADLY CASE OF THE VIRUS THERE.
ACCORDING TO DATA FROM THE
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF
PUBLIC HEALTH - THERE HAVE BEEN
55 TRIPLE-E DEATHS IN THE LAST
80 YEARS - THE BULK OF THOSE IN
THE LATE 1930'S.
THE LAST DEADLY CASE OF TRIPLE E
WAS BACK IN 2013 -
It's sad that it happens but you
know there's not much more you
can do, just make yourself safe
and spray yourself. That's about
all you can do.
FOLKS WE SPOKE WITH IN FAIRHAVEN
AND NEIGHBORING NEW BEDFORD SAY
THEY'RE WEARING PLENTY OF BUG
SPRAY AND AVOIDING BEING OUTSIDE
AFTER DUSK - WHEN MOSQUITOES ARE
MOST ACTIVE.
IN RHODE ISLAND, WHERE TWO
SAMPLES OF MOSQUITOES IN CENTRAL
FALLS TESTED POSITIVE FOR TRIPLE
E, HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE
RECOMMENDING SCHOOLS AND
MUNICIPALITIES SCHEDULE ALL
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES BEFORE
SUNSET.
is it scary? Sure. When it hits
home, it's a human it's scary,
but you can't stop doing what
you're doing.
AND THERE HAVE BEEN NO HUMAN
CASES OF TRIPLE E IN RHODE
ISLAND SINCE 2010 - AGAIN THERE
ARE NOW FOUR CONFIRMED HUMAN
CASES HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS. FOR
MORE INFORMATION ON THE VIRUS
AND WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT
YOURSELF - HEAD TO OUR WEBSITE,
WPRI.COM FOR A FULL LIST OF TIPS