EEE Found in LaGrange
Published: Friday, September 30, 2022
The Indiana State Board of Health reported on Monday that a horse in LaGrange County has been diagnosed with Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). The testing was performed at the National Veterinary Services Lab in Ames, Iowa.
This is the first reported case of EEE occurring in Indiana so far this year. According to BOAH spokesperson Denise Spears, the infection was found in a 9-year-old Standardbred mare that was not vaccinated. The horse was showing signs of hind limb ataxia (lack of coordination), mild head pressing, lethargy and a fever. The mare was sampled on Sept. 2 and is now dead.
This announcement comes as the total number of cases in Michigan rises to three.
On Monday, Michigan State Veterinarian Nora Wineland announced that the discovery of EEE in a 2-year-old Paint cross gelding in Eaton County.
"On Sept. 8, 2022, the gelding became ill with neurologic signs—including leaning, wobbling and stiffness/trying not to move," Wineland said. "The horse was unvaccinated against EEE and was humanely euthanized due to the severity of his condition."
These cases in both Indiana and Michigan show that the virus is present in the area's mosquitoes and highlights the need to take precautions. Protect animals against mosquitoes by placing livestock in a barn under fans during peak mosquito activity (from dusk to dawn), eliminating standing water on one's property, using an insect repellant on animals that is approved for the species, and contacting a veterinarian to vaccinate horses against EEE and other mosquito-borne diseases.
Also, contact a veterinarian if a horse shows signs of the illness: mild fever and stumbling, which can progress to being down and struggling to stand."
EEE is a viral disease transmitted through the bites of mosquitoes to both animals and people; it is typically seen in late summer to early fall each year in Michigan. The disease is not spread by horse-to-horse or horse-to-human contact. Overall, the mosquitoes that carry EEE will remain alive and active until there has been at least one hard freeze where the temperatures fall below 28 degrees F.
EEE is one of the most dangerous mosquito-borne diseases in the U.S., with a 90 percent fatality rate among horses that become ill and a 33 percent fatality rate among humans who become ill.
For 2022, the gelding from Eaton County is Michigan's third case of EEE in a domestic animal; the other cases occurred in Roscommon and St. Joseph counties.
Return to Top of Page