Florida Owners Encouraged to Vaccinate Horses against EEE

The Escambia County, Florida, Mosquito Control Division is encouraging horse owners to vaccinate their horses against Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in light of increased production of mosquito species that could carry and transmit the disease.
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The Escambia County, Florida, Mosquito Control Division is encouraging horse owners to take preventive actions by vaccinating their horses against Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in the light of increased production of mosquito species that could carry and transmit this widespread disease.

Recent local weather events have contributed to the emergence of both the primary and secondary vectors of EEE, a severe to fatal disease transmitted to horses by several distinctive mosquito species. Horses are “accidental hosts” of this disease, with a natural cycle that typically involves birds and the primary vector, Culiseta melanura, inhabiting cypress hammocks and other freshwater swampy areas.

A viral disease, EEE affects the central nervous system and is transmitted to horses by infected mosquitoes. Clinical signs of EEE include moderate to high fever, depression, lack of appetite, cranial nerve deficits (facial paralysis, tongue weakness, difficulty swallowing), behavioral changes (aggression, self-mutilation, or drowsiness), gait abnormalities, or severe central nervous system signs, such as head-pressing, circling, blindness, and seizures.

The course of EEE can be swift, with death occurring two to three days after onset of clinical signs despite intensive care; fatality rates reach 75-80% among horses. Horses that survive might have long-lasting impairments and neurologic problems

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