HARTFORD, Conn. — A horse is the first equine animal and latest confirmed domestic animal in Connecticut to have been infected with Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) this season, state researchers announced Wednesday.
According to the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, the horse was euthanized Sunday after showing "neurological" signs; tests at the state veterinarian lab and UConn confirmed the horse was infected with EEE. The horse lived in New London County and was not vaccinated, researchers said.
EEE is spread through infected mosquitoes, not by horse-to-horse or horse-to-human contact.
Neurological signs in horses include hyperexcitability, tremors, convulsions, paralysis, head tilt, head pressing, incoordination, drowsiness, recumbency, colic or death. Researchers urge animal caretakers to call a veterinarian to determine a diagnosis and treatment if they see these behaviors in their animals. The State Veterinarian can be reached at 860-713-2505.
Prevention includes getting horses their initial vaccines and boosters annually and whenever else needed against neurologic diseases such as EEE, West Nile Virus and rabies. Prevention also involves regularly applying fly sprays that contain pyrethrin and cleaning and refilling water troughs regularly.
An emu in Windham County recently died after being infected with EEE.
The Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station (CAES) has detected EEE in 15 Connecticut towns in Windham, Tolland and New London Counties as of Oct. 2.
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