New Jersey Horses Contract EEE

A 3-year-old Morris County gelding and a 1-year-old Ocean County mare were euthanized after testing positive for EEE.
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A 3-year-old Morris County gelding and a 1-year-old Ocean County mare have tested positive for Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE).

The gelding was not vaccinated against EEE while the mare was only recently vaccinated but had not yet had a booster. Both were euthanized on Aug. 23 and Aug. 26, respectively.

“Horse owners need to be vigilant in vaccinating their animals against diseases spread by mosquitoes,” said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher. “Vaccinated animals are much less likely to contract deadly diseases such as EEE and West Nile virus.”

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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