Ag Boss: Time To Vaccinate Horses After Eastern Equine Encephalitis Surge

July 14, 2010

Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson is urging horse owners to get their animals vaccinated following an upsurge in the number of Eastern Equine Encephalitis cases. Sentinel chickens that serve as an early warning of the existence of the disease are also being diagnosed with EEE in areas of the state that are not usually affected.

So far this year there have been 16 confirmed cases of EEE in horses. While that is not an unusually high number, seven of the cases were reported on Wednesday, June 23, from counties scattered throughout the state.

EEE is a viral disease that affects the central nervous system and is transmitted to horses by infected mosquitoes. Signs of the virus include fever, listlessness, stumbling, circling, coma and usually death. The disease is fatal in horses in 90 percent of the cases.

Bronson says the majority of cases of EEE and other mosquito-borne diseases can be prevented through proper vaccinations. Horse owners are urged to check with their veterinarian to make sure their animals have received current vaccinations and booster shots against EEE and West Nile Virus, and that these shots are kept up to date.

Comments

3 Responses to “Ag Boss: Time To Vaccinate Horses After Eastern Equine Encephalitis Surge”

  1. AL on July 15th, 2010 5:51 pm

    there was a confirmed case in Santa Rosa

  2. Jodie Nash on July 14th, 2010 2:09 pm

    Yes, don’t forget to vaccinate. But what counties are seeing the rise in EEE?

  3. AL on July 14th, 2010 10:51 am

    Don’t forget the boosters!!

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News