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.
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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