State officials are urging the public to take proper precautions when outdoors after the mosquito-borne Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus was detected in mosquitoes sampled in two Massachusetts communities in the past week, signaling the start of what is expected to be another active year for EEE cases, they say

The state Department of Public Health announced Friday the rare virus, known as EEE, was detected in a mosquito sample collected on July 1 in Orange

On Monday, the department said another batch of samples collected on July 5 in Wendell also contained EEE

While no human or animal cases of EEE have been detected so far this season, officials have placed Wendell, New Salem, Orange, and Athol — all in Franklin County — at moderate risk for the virus

State leaders said Tuesday the test results are the first signs of the virus locally in 2020, after Massachusetts experienced its most intense EEE outbreak last year — during which 12 human cases were reported and six people died — since the 1950s

Monica Bharel said during a press conference

In May, state epidemiologist Dr

Catherine Brown told Boston.com the state’s mosquito larvae population appeared “relatively robust” and other signs indicated the commonwealth should expect another busy summer for EEE

State officials say agencies have been monitoring and working to reduce Massachusetts’s mosquito populations since the end of last year’s outbreak

Charlie Baker said Tuesday, speaking at the Plymouth County Mosquito Control Project facilities

“It’s very dangerous, and the work that’s done by many of the control districts around the commonwealth, including this one, makes an enormous difference in keeping people healthy and safe during the course of the summer.”

Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides said actions over the spring included larvae sighting in nearly 20,000 acres in 110 mosquito control member communities, targeting the mosquito species that carries the EEE virus

In April and May, crews conducted aerial and hand spraying, and officials are now awaiting the results of field trials conducted by regional mosquito control districts that will illuminate how effective those efforts were, Theoharides said

This year, the state will accelerate the schedule of mosquitoes collected for virus testing and thereby testing results, she said

Trucks with mounted mosquito control spray systems began making their rounds in June and will continue to do so into the first week of September as officials collect and analyze data, according to Theoharides

“We are stepping up our surveillance this season and stepping up the accuracy and rapidity with which we provide that information, so that, again, we can use a data-driven approach to address this public health issue,” Bharel said

Baker and others say a key piece of the approach for this year’s mosquito season includes measures laid out in a bill the Baker Administration filed in April that seeks to allow DPH to work with the State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board, which oversees 11 regional programs, to coordinate a unified, statewide response

The governor said that while many cities and towns have access to mosquito control equipment through their membership in a control district, there are parts of the state that do not benefit from participating in such a program

In those areas, there are no agencies that “can engage in what we would call the typical, traditional mosquito control activities,” Baker said

A two- to three-year EEE outbreak requires a different approach, he said

“The simplest way I can describe this is to say that most of the places that have mosquito control districts in Massachusetts are the places where historically we’ve seen EEE outbreaks,” the governor said

Baker said that happened primarily due to the changing migratory patterns of the birds that infect mosquitoes with the virus

Orange is one of the communities where officials observed the change and where there is no mosquito control program, he said

Baker said he is hopeful his bill will be able to become law soon

The state Senate approved the proposal last month

“It’s important we think a little more about this as a statewide issue,” he said

According to Bharel, the state is stepping up its public outreach program to educate the public about EEE, including through mass.gov/mosquitoesandticks

People should take personal precautions when going outdoors, such as using mosquito repellants with an Environmental Protection Agency-registered active ingredient, wearing long-sleeved clothing, and being aware of mosquito activity in a particular area, Bharel said

Both Bharel and Baker acknowledged they want people to continue to be able to enjoy the outdoors, safely, especially after the coronavirus pandemic kept the region hunkered down in recent months

“We’ve all been spending a lot of time indoors related to COVID-19, and we want the residents of Massachusetts to go outside and enjoy outdoor time with families,” Bharel said