09/03/2025
Vet will be here next week. Please vaccinate and share this.
Cases of Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis have been diagnosed recently within the Mississippi horse population.
Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis is a virus transmitted by mosquitoes to horses from wild birds that are asymptomatically infected. Clinical signs of EEE include ataxia, fever, depression, behavior changes, and recumbency with inability to rise. Almost all horses infected with EEE will die or eventually require euthanasia. Humans may also be infected if bitten by mosquitoes, but direct horse-to-human transmission does not occur. Cases of EEE tend to peak in late summer to early fall.
Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis is a recommended core vaccination (recommended for all horses) by the American Association of Equine Practitioners - along with Western Equine Encephalomyelitis (WEE), West Nile Virus (WNV), rabies, and tetanus. All horses should be vaccinated at least once per year against these five diseases. Vaccination against EEE, WEE, and WNV every six months is advisable in areas with longer mosquito seasons, such as Mississippi. The vaccine is highly effective in preventing EEE in horses. Mosquito control is very important to reduce horses’ exposure to mosquitoes and eliminate potential mosquito breeding sites. Your primary care veterinarian is your best resource for advice on what vaccination schedule is most helpful for your horses and farm practices.
For further information regarding EEE, WEE, and WNV, please see:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock.../equine/encephalitides
http://www.equinediseasecc.org/.../Arbovirus-Season-is...
The AAEP horse vaccination guidelines can be found here: www.aaep.org/guidelines-resources/vaccination-guidelines/
