By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has reported two additional Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), one each in Levy County and Nassau County.

Image/Alexas_Fotos

An unvaccinated horse tested positive in a private facility in Levy County. The horse was euthanized.

This is the second confirmed EEE case for Florida in 2021.

In addition, a vaccinated horse tested positive in a boarding facility in Nassau County. This, the third confirmed case of EEE for Florida in 2021, was also euthanized.

EEE causes inflammation of the brain tissue and has a significantly higher risk of death in horses than West Nile Virus infection. West Nile virus is a viral disease that affects horses’ neurological system. The disease is transmitted by a mosquito bite. The virus cycles between birds and mosquitoes with horses and humans being incidental hosts. EEE infections in horses are not a significant risk factor for human infection because horses (like humans) are considered to be “dead-end” hosts for the virus.

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