Horses are becoming sick and some are dying from mosquito-borne illnesses across the country. Vaccination is important.
The South Carolina State Veterinarian’s office has received laboratory confirmation of three additional Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) positive cases for a total of eight diagnosed in 2017. The most recent cases were in an 8-year-old filly in Horry County, and a 6-year-old Haflinger mare in Aiken County. None had not been vaccinated and all were euthanized.
The South Carolina State Veterinarian also confirmed that two ponies in Colleton County tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV). One was an unvaccinated 22-year-old Shetland gelding, and the other was a 13-year-old Shetland gelding that the owner thought was vaccinated, but with an unknown date. Both ponies were euthanized.
Kentucky’s 11th Equine WNV Case
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture has reported confirmation of a case of equine West Nile virus in Hardin County. The 17-year-old Quarter Horse gelding, which had no WNV vaccination history, presented with clinical signs on September 14 that included ataxia and muscle fasciculations. The horse received treatment and showed an initial response, but he relapsed and was euthanized on September 22 after he became recumbent. This is the 11th equine WNV case confirmed in Kentucky in 2017.
Utah Reports 10 Additional Equine WNV Cases
The Utah Department of Agriculture reported that 10 horses have tested positive for WNV in 10 different counties with clinical signs initially observed between September 8 and September 20. The horses were all from different premises located throughout the north-central part of the state. Five of the horses were treated and are recovering. The other five horses were not treated by their veterinarians and their status is unknown.
The cases occurred in the following counties: Logan, Spanish Fork, Erda, Utah, Cache, Payson, Bluffdale, Honeyville, Salt Lake and Box Elder.
For more information go to http://ag.utah.gov/animal/animal-health.html.
New Jersey Reports EEE in Horse
The New Jersey Department of Agriculture confirmed Eastern equine encephalitis in a 9-year-old mare in Atlantic County. The illness started on September 17 and the horse is reportedly being treated. The horse was vaccinated two years ago.
Idaho Equine WNV
The Idaho Department of Agriculture has confirmed a case of equine West Nile virus in Boundary County. The affected 20-year-old Quarter Horse mare showed an onset of clinical signs on September 9 that included staggering, incoordination, hyperflexion when walking, and stumbling. The unvaccinated mare was till alive at the time of the report.
The Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) works to protect horses and the horse industry from the threat of infectious diseases in North America. The communication system is designed to seek and report real time information about disease outbreaks similar to how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) alerts the human population about diseases in people.
