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• A mosquito

Several events in Burlington have been rescheduled or canceled to help curb the spread of eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, a rare and sometimes deadly virus transmitted through mosquito bites.

In late August, the Vermont Department of Health issued guidance instructing those in high-risk towns — Alburgh, Burlington, Colchester and Swanton — to avoid spending time outdoors between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., when mosquitoes are most active. The curfew has left organizers of outdoor evening events scrambling to reschedule to earlier hours, relocate indoors or, if neither option is possible, canceling altogether.

Canceled programming in Burlington includes Oktoberfest Vermont, previously scheduled for September 20 and 21 at Waterfront Park; the remainder of Summervale, the live music series held on Thursdays at the Intervale; the rest of “Movie Nights at the FRAME,” typically screened on Thursdays at sunset at the Moran Plant site; and a concert by the Discussions, part of Burlington City Arts' Twilight Series, which was scheduled for August 30 at City Hall Park.

Future Twilight Series performances will be held at indoor auditoriums. Elsewhere, the Flynn moved its Playing Fields performances, featuring Cirque Kikasse and the West Philadelphia Orchestra at schools across Vermont, to earlier start times.

"It's an unfortunate reality here at the end of summer to have to switch gears and to take these extra precautions,” said Joe Magee, deputy chief of staff for Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak. “But you know, it's good for folks to have the information … to keep themselves safe."

Most people infected with EEE will have no or mild symptoms. But the virus is fatal in one-third of those who do develop severe symptoms, which can include inflammation of the brain.

To date, there have been no reports of EEE-related deaths in Vermont. In July, a Chittenden County man was hospitalized with the virus, the first confirmed human case in Vermont since 2012. A 41-year-old New Hampshire man died last week after contracting EEE, the state’s first EEE-related death recorded in a decade. Massachusetts has reported three human cases of EEE.

John Flanagan, communications director at Burlington City Arts, noted the familiar challenge of adapting to health threats.

"We've been through COVID and made adjustments at the last minute with unexpected changes," he said. "So we're well versed in this and know how to think on our feet and make things happen even under not-ideal circumstances, just keeping the health of the community front of mind."

The Department of Health plans to lift the guidance to stay indoors after 6 p.m. after the first hard frost, when the temperature drops below 28°F for several hours, which kills mosquitoes.