BOSTON. THE MOSQUITO SPRAYERS ARE OUT IN WORCESTER COUNTY TONIGHT. LOOK AT THAT. AND ACROSS OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE. HOURS AFTER HEALTH OFFICIALS ANNOUNCED THE FIRST HUMAN CASE OF TRIPOLI IN MASSACHUSETTSS IN FOUR YEARS, EASTERN EQUINE ESOPHAGITIS IS A RARE BUT SERIOUS DISEASE THAT OFFICIALS ARE CALLING A PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I'M JESSICA BROWN, I'M JENNIFER PENATE. ED AND MARIA ARE BOTH OFF THE HUMAN PATIENT WAS EXPOSED IN WORCESTER COUNTY AND MOSQUITOES INFECTED WITH THE DISEASE HAVE BEEN FOUND IN MANY OTHER COUNTIES AS WELL. OUR DANAE BUCCI IS LIVE IN BLACKSTONE TONIGHT, WHERE THE SPRAYERS WERE OUT THERE. DANNY. THAT'S RIGHT. JENNIFER. A SPRAYER CAME BY HERE ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF AGO, SPREADING PESTICIDE AIMED AT KILLING THOSE HARMFUL BUGS. THIS PESTICIDE RAINING DOWN ON MORE THAN A DOZEN STREETS IN BLACKSTONE. THE TOWN SAYS THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH FOUND A COLLECTION OF MOSQUITOES WITH WEST NILE VIRUS. AND IT'S NOT THE ONLY MOSQUITO BORNE DISEASE POSING A RISK IN SOME COMMUNITIES. KEY THING IS THERE'S NO VACCINES OR TREATMENT FOR TRIPLE E, SO PREVENTION IS REALLY VERY CRITICAL. THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH HAS CONFIRMED A MAN IN HIS 80S HAS TESTED POSITIVE FOR TRIPLE E. IT'S THE STATE'S FIRST CASE SINCE 2020, AND DOCTORS SAY THE SYMPTOMS CAN RANGE FROM DEBILITATING TO DEADLY. THEY HAVE FEVERS, THEY HAVE CHILLS, THEY COMPLAIN OF HEADACHE AND JOINT PAINS. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SEE IS THAT SOMETIMES THEY'RE A LITTLE CONFUSED OR DISORIENTED. SOMETIMES THEY CAN HAVE SEIZURES. SO NEUROLOGICALLY WE SEE SOME CHANGES THERE. OFFICIALS SAY THE MAN WAS EXPOSED TO THE DISEASE IN WORCESTER COUNTY. SEVEN COMMUNITIES THERE ARE NOW CONSIDERED CRITICAL OR HIGH RISK, BUT SOME RESIDENTS SAY THEY'RE NOT CONCERNED JUST YET. IT REALLY DOESN'T MAKE ME NERVOUS. I MEAN, IF I IF THEY STARTED TO GET A MORE CASES OF IT, I DEFINITELY WOULD PROTECT MYSELF WHEN I DO GO OUTSIDE, ESPECIALLY IN THE EVENINGS, I DO HAVE SOME BUG SPRAY. IF I DO NOTICE, AND THEN I'LL JUST ZIP MYSELF. BUT NO, NO, I'M NOT TOO WORRIED. EXPERTS SAY TO MINIMIZE YOUR RISK, YOU SHOULD CONSIDER WEARING LONG SLEEVED SHIRTS AS WELL AS LONG PANTS AND WEARING BUG