SUFFOLK, Va. (AP) — State officials have confirmed that a case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis was detected in a horse from Suffolk.
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services says the horse began showing symptoms of EEE on June 22 and was euthanized the next day. This is the first case of 2016.
The disease causes swelling of the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms include impaired vision, aimless wandering, convulsions and death. Once a horse is bitten by an infected mosquito, it can take three to 10 days for symptoms to appear.
EEE has a mortality rate of 80 to 90 percent.
A horse cannot transmit EEE to a person, but people should still take measures to avoid mosquitoes, like wearing protective clothing and using repellant.
For more information, contact the State Veterinarian at (804) 692-0601.
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