AUGUSTA, Maine — A horse in York County has tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis, better known as EEE. It's the first reported case involving a horse since 2013, according to a release from Maine's Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
EEE is a virus that is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito.
The release says the center was notified late Friday afternoon of the positive test results. The horse, which was not vaccinated against the disease, was euthanized.
“EEE, which is carried by mosquitoes, is a fatal, viral disease in horses. The virus can affect human beings if they are bitten by mosquitoes that carry the virus,” said Dr. Michele Walsh, Maine State Veterinarian. “People cannot acquire EEE infection from sick animals, only from the bite of an infected mosquito.”
The risk of mosquito-transmitted diseases such as EEE usually increases through the late summer and early fall, the release explained, because mosquitoes are active until the second heavy frost.
According to the Maine CDC, there have been no confirmed cases of EEE or West Nile virus in humans in Maine this year. The last case of EEE involving a human in Maine was in 2015.
However, the center says public health officials in other northeastern states have seen evidence of a very active season for the virus and some evidence of mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus, another mosquito-borne illness.
“This positive result confirms that mosquitoes carrying the virus are present in Maine, which is the reason why Maine CDC urges the state’s residents and visitors to take precautions to protect themselves and their animals from mosquito bites,” said Nirav D. Shah, Director of Maine CDC. “We want everyone to take precautions while enjoying themselves this holiday weekend.”
To find out more about symptoms and how to protect yourself, click here.