SUTTON, Mass. — As summer winds down, eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) continues to pose a risk for residents in some communities looking to enjoy the stretch of sunny weather.

In Sutton, one of four municipalities currently considered to be at a critical risk level for EEE, people like Patty Burton enjoying a walk at Purgatory Chasm on Tuesday were aware of the marginal yet deadly threat.

“When I’m home sitting outside, I always have repellant sticks going, and my husband used to spray all over,” Burton said. “So yeah, I’m very concerned about it.”

In addition to the steps she takes to be safe at home, Burton also wore long sleeves for her hike. EEE is a rare disease, but she’s seen it hit close to home.

“I lived in Fairhaven for quite a few years, and someone died from it out there on Sconticut Neck,” Burton said.

For state public health leaders, getting the right message across about a disease which is both very rare and very deadly is a tight rope to walk, but State Epidemiologist Dr. Katherine Brown said it all comes down to taking the proper steps to protect yourself. Panicking isn’t helpful, and neither is ignoring it.

“I think that’s actually kind of a difficult place to communicate risk to people, and I don’t think being alarmed or fearful is particularly helpful,” Brown said. “What I want people to know is that there is EEE occurring this year, it’s spread by the bite of an infected mosquito, but by taking some relatively simple common-sense precautions, people should be able to lower their risk quite substantially.”

This includes using bug spray, wearing long sleeves, long pants and long socks, and draining standing water from your property.

In the case of critical risk communities like Oxford, Webster, Douglas and Sutton, she said you may want to go a step further.

“Not everywhere, but in the highest risk areas, we recommend people consider avoiding outdoor activities between dusk and dawn,” Brown said. “The good news is, the cooler it gets at night, the less active the mosquitoes are going to be.”

Historically, most documented cases of EEE in Massachusetts have happened before mid-September, but a fourth case was just reported on Monday.

Brown said warmer summers could be influencing EEE’s staying power.

“With climate change, I think we are seeing some changes in the pattern of EEE, not just in Massachusetts, but actually throughout New England,” Brown said. “It’s really nice weather this week, it’s warm enough for mosquitoes to be out, people are going to be out, so I’m really just encouraging folks to use a mosquito repellant any time they’re outside. Everybody needs to hope for a hard frost early this year.”

Outbreaks of EEE in Massachusetts typically happen every 10-20 years, lasting for two to three years. According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the most recent outbreak prior to 2024 began in 2019 and included 12 cases and six deaths.

Symptoms of EEE include fever, a stiff neck, headache and lack of energy. The symptoms typically appear three to ten days after a bite from an infected mosquito, and inflammation and swelling of the brain, called encephalitis, is the most dangerous and frequent serious complication.