A 23-year-old, unvaccinated, male horse in Fairfield County tested positive for eastern equine encephalitis, the state Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday.
The horse was exhibiting neurological symptoms. It was the state’s first confirmed case of EEE in a domesticated animal this year.
EEE spreads through bites from infected mosquitoes. While only a handful of human cases are reported in the United States each year, the disease can be fatal.
In August, a New Hampshire resident died from the disease. It was the state’s first EEE death in a decade.
There were also reports of the illness in people this year in Massachusetts and Vermont, but no human cases have been reported in Connecticut.
Still, infected mosquitos have been detected in 11 Connecticut communities across four counties this year, including Windham, New London, Hartford and Middlesex.
State officials previously said the disease was detected in mosquitoes in Canterbury, Ledyard, North Stonington, Sterling and Voluntown. Environmental officials announced last month they planned to spray a portion of a forest in eastern Connecticut to help combat the spread of the disease.
About a third of people who develop severe eastern equine encephalitis die from the infection, and survivors can suffer lifelong mental and physical disabilities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There is no vaccine to prevent or medication to treat infections. The disease can cause flu-like symptoms and lead to severe neurological problems, along with inflammation of the brain and membranes around the spinal cord.
In Connecticut this year, there is a heightened level of mosquito activity and virus detections compared to prior years, according to the Connecticut Mosquito Management Program.
While horses are most susceptible to EEE, the disease is also transmissible to goats, turkeys and chickens. A vaccine for the disease is available to horses.
“The EEE vaccinations for horses are demonstrably protective, highly effective, and very safe. Horses without a EEE vaccine history have a high mortality rate, upwards of 95%, making it crucial that these be part of every horse’s core vaccine schedule,” Connecticut State Veterinarian Erin Masur, DVM, said. “We urge residents to implement the necessary precautions to protect their animals and themselves.”
Residents looking to protect themselves from mosquito bites should use insect repellent, wear long-sleeved shirts and pants and consider avoiding outdoor activities during the peak biting times of dawn and dusk.
