First EEE cases in NC have been reported. (snippet from the NCDA& CS newsletter released today) State veterinarian, Dr. David Marshall, reported today that two horses have been confirmed this week as having died after contracting Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis within the past two weeks. EEE is a mosquito-borne disease that is preventable in equine by vaccination. The unvaccinated horses – an 18-month-old Paint from Carteret County and a 3-year-old Quarter horse from Bladen County – exhibited signs of generalized weakness, stumbling, depression and inability to stand or eat. The Carteret County horse was euthanized July 21, and the Bladen County horse died Aug. 2. These are the first reported cases of EEE in horses in North Carolina this year. Earlier this summer, New Hanover County officials reported that the disease was found in a sentinel chicken flock. The state recorded 15 EEE cases in horses in 2013. Marshall recommends that equine owners talk to their veterinarians about an effective vaccination protocol to protect horses from EEE and another mosquito-borne disease, West Nile virus. The vaccinations initially require two shots, 30 days apart, for horses, mules and donkeys that have no prior vaccination history.
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 02:34:00 +0000
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