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ORLEANS COUNTY – The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets received confirmation this week of a positive Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) test in a horse. This case is in Orleans County, a location in Vermont that had not previously been identified as having any mosquitoes testing positive for EEE. It is the second horse testing positive this year. The horse was unvaccinated and is now deceased. The horse was tested on October 4. It likely contracted the disease mid-September during a period of warmer than normal weather.
EEE, which spreads through the bite of an infected mosquito, is rare but can cause serious and life-threatening illness in people and some animals. Although the risk is lower as temperatures cool and mosquitoes are less active, prevention is still important. Until the first hard frost is recorded in an area, it is important to be aware of the risks associated with mosquito bites. A hard, or killing frost, is defined meteorologically as two consecutive hours of temperatures below 28 degrees Fahrenheit. Although mosquitoes are not killed until a hard frost occurs, they are extremely unlikely to be active when temperatures fall below 50 degrees in the evening.
Horse owners should consult with their veterinarians and make sure their animals are properly vaccinated for EEE, West Nile virus, and other viruses spread by infected insects or ticks. Horses cannot spread EEE or West Nile viruses to humans or other horses.
Vermonters should continue to take steps to prevent mosquito bites and protect themselves from mosquito-borne illness: limit time spent outdoors at dawn and dusk; apply repellent when going to be outdoors, especially at dawn or dusk. Use insect repellent labeled as effective against mosquitoes; wear loose-fitting long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors; fix holes in screens and remove standing water around the home.
