Protect Your Horse Against EEE and West Nile

Both EEE and West Nile virus are concerning horse owners not only from the potentially life-threatening consequences of either infection, but also from the economic losses involved. Here’s what to know about protecting your horse.
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eee and wnv in horses
The AAEP, in accordance with criteria defined by the American Veterinary Medical Association with respect to core vaccines–namely those that protect against diseases that are endemic, of potential public health significance, and represent a risk of causing severe disease—strongly recommends that horses be immunized against EEE and WNE. | Photo: Kevin Thompson/The Horse

The two most frequently encountered causes of equine encephalitis or equine encephalomyelitis in North America are Eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) and West Nile encephalitis (WNE) viruses. Both are mosquito-borne and neurotropic. The respective viruses are not restricted to equids in terms of their host range; each can be transmitted to humans and certain other mammalian and avian species. Both diseases are a source of concern for the equine industry not only from the potentially life-threatening consequences of either infection, but also from the economic losses involved.

Eastern equine encephalomyelitis poses an annual threat to equids in the Gulf and Atlantic coastal states and the Great Lakes region, extending in certain years as far north as Eastern Canada. It is occasionally recorded in some inland states such as Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Iowa. Evidence of EEE activity is most often reported in Florida, in which it has been confirmed as early as January, as recorded in 2018. Over the past 15 years, the yearly incidence of EEE cases in equids has ranged from 60 (2011) to 712 (2003), with an annual average of 206 cases. In 2017, 86 cases of the disease were reported in 13 states. In temperate regions, transmission of EEE virus is seasonal, occurring in the summer and the fall. In sub-tropical regions such as Florida, there is a year-round risk of EEE, with virus transmission peaking in the summer months.

Equids and humans are tangential or dead-end hosts of EEE virus and neither plays a role in the virus’ natural life-cycle. Infections in horses, mules, and donkeys are frequently life-threatening; case fatality rates can be as high as 90%

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