Officials in Massachusetts and Illinois have reported additional cases of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile virus (WNV), respectively, in horses residing within their state’s borders.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) reported Oct. 1 that a horse residing in the town of Essex, located in the northeastern part of the commonwealth, tested positive for EEE. This most recently confirmed case is the fifth equine EEE case reported in Massachusetts this year; in 2011 Massachusetts reported just one case of equine EEE.

"Although it is October, mosquitoes continue to be present in our environment until the first hard frost," MDPH State Epidemiologist Al DeMaria, MD, said in a press release.

In Illinois, the Jackson County Health Department confirmed its third equine WNV case in late September, according to a press release from the organization. In total, six Illinois horses have tested positive this year; the state did not report any confirmed WNV cases in 2011

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