Summer might be winding down in some areas of the country, but the number of equine mosquito-borne disease cases continues to rise. Animal health officials in California, Kentucky, and Vermont have all issued statements regarding newly confirmed cases of either Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) or West Nile virus (WNV) in the past week.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reported 87 cases of WNV and 60 cases of EEE in U.S. horses in 2011. As of Sept. 4, APHIS has reported 181 cases of WNV and 112 cases of EEE throughout the nation.

California–The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) yesterday (Sept. 17) announced that five additional WNV cases were confirmed in three counties.

"The CDFA Animal Health Branch confirmed five additional cases of WNV … in Calaveras, Kern, and Shasta counties," a statement read. "All five horses were unvaccinated. One of the five horses was euthanized

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