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Horses need vaccines against local disease
10/31/2009 10:59 PM   0 comment(s) on this story E-mail this story to a friend

A little mosquito bite can cause big problems for a horse that hasn't been vaccinated for eastern equine encephalitis.

According to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, there have been 11 confirmed cases of eastern equine encephalitis in the state from Jan. 1 through Oct. 26. The virus occurs naturally in certain birds.

Even though it's fall, there's still an active mosquito population. Both people and horses are considered dead-end hosts for the vector-borne virus.

Horses are very susceptible to EEE, which is a virus that attacks the central nervous system of its host, said Dr. Stephanie Cox, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control veterinarian epidemiologist. There are a number of symptoms that will manifest themselves very quickly including loss of coordination, unsteadiness and abnormal behavior. The virus is fatal in horses that haven't been vaccinated.

Winter may be approaching, but horse owners should still have their horses vaccinated for eastern equine encephalitis, said Dr. Lisa Handy with Carolina Equine Clinic. Arborviral encephalitides are still prevalent in the environment. Vaccinations should be administered by a licensed veterinarian. Horse owners should take into account the horse's lifestyle and their exposure to mosquitoes when vaccinating.

"Make sure you're vaccinating," said Handy. "In South Carolina, a horse owner should be vaccinating for eastern equine encephalitis at least twice a year."

People who don't own horses should also be aware that the mosquitoes carrying the virus are a public health concern, said Handy. If horses are diagnosed with the virus, there is the potential that humans can be diagnosed with the virus.

Even though there are vaccines approved for use in horses, there are no vaccines for people.

There are a number of things that horse owners and people can do to protect themselves, said Handy. If you're going to work outside at dawn or dusk, wear long sleeves and long pants and use insect repellent. It's also imperative to eliminate standing water and drain and eliminate any receptacle that may trap water.

There are a number of ways to reduce the mosquito population, and breeding sites can be eliminated in a number of ways, including by microbial larvacides, insect growth regulators and adulticides.

Eastern equine encephalitis can only be acquired from mosquitoes who have fed on infected birds. A sick horse doesn't pose a threat to the human population but indicates that a local bird population in the area is circulating the virus, said Dr. Boyd Parr with the State Veterinarian/Clemson University Livestock Poultry Health Division.

"We're reminding horse owners that there's a risk, but it's a preventable risk if you do the proper vaccinations," said Parr. "The first case of EEE was in June. We're not out of the vector season yet."

Older people, children and pregnant women should be especially careful, said Handy.

"If, for some reason, you've missed a vaccine on a horse, if you've noticed your horse acting strange or neurological or any abnormal behavior, please call your veterinarian," said Handy. "It's very important, especially in the state of South Carolina, for veterinarians to try and diagnose if there is a problem."

Contact Ben Baugh at bbaugh@aikenstandard.com.


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