Residents in a Massachusetts town are being urged not to leave their homes after dark due to the spread of a deadly mosquito-borne virus.

The Board of Health in Oxford, a city of 13,300 people about 50 miles southwest of Boston, has set an outdoor curfew in hopes it will reduce the chances of people being bitten by mosquitoes which carry Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE).

It comes after a resident was the first human to contract the rare and untreatable illness - known as 'Triple E' - domestically in nearly four years. 

Triple E causes a fever and brain swelling and can lead to seizures and comas. One-third of people infected with EEE die and those who recover are often left with lifelong physical and mental difficulties. 

The dusk curfew, which falls around 8 pm in Massachusetts, is only a recommendation - not a rule - but town officials are hoping it will push people inside before peak mosquito hours, reducing risk of exposure. 

While not a requirement, the local school district will be enforcing the curfew, meaning after-school programs and sports may be canceled, ended early or moved indoors - something many parents, students and athletes are taking issue with.

Nearly 1,000 Oxford residents have signed an online petition to keep sports fields open. 

Oxford Webster Football and Cheer Vice President Josh Ziemski said at the meeting Wednesday: 'Being heard is our number one goal. Let us decide. I'm a parent, I coach my son and yes if things happen, I can take precautions.'

And two sisters on the cheerleading squad are afraid the curfew will impact their season.