Just days after learning that a horse in Cayuga County died from a mosquito-borne illness, now comes word that a horse in Wayne County has tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis.
EEE is a rare disease caused by a virus spread by infected mosquitoes. EEEV is one of a group of mosquito-transmitted viruses that can cause inflammation of the brain (encephalitis). EEE is a rare illness in humans and is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. It can affect humans, birds, horses, and other mammals. Disease transmission does not occur directly from person to person, mammal to mammal, or mammal to person.
Mosquitoes are most active from dusk to dawn. Wayne County Public Health is urging residents to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites and protect themselves from potential exposure to the mosquito-borne illness until the first hard frost by:
What are the symptoms of EEE?
Most people bitten by an infected mosquito will not develop any symptoms. Severe cases of EEE infection in humans begin with a sudden onset of headache, high fever, chills, and vomiting. The illness may then progress into disorientation, seizures, encephalitis, and coma.
There is no human vaccine for EEE. The best way to protect yourself is to keep mosquitoes from biting you.
There are EEE and West Nile Virus vaccines available for horses. Call your veterinarian for further information.
For further information and/or questions on EEE, please contact the Wayne County Public Health Department at 315-946-5749, weekdays between 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
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