Recently Oklahoma has averaged approximately 40 cases of mosquito-borne diseases in horses per year. | Photo: iStock

The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry’s (ODAFF) Animal Industry Services is encouraging horse owners to take precautions and vaccinate their animals to protect against the West Nile virus (WNV) and Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE).

In years past, Oklahoma averaged approximately 40 cases per year of positive diagnoses of mosquito-carried diseases in horses.

The bird population serves as the reservoir for the viruses, and mosquitos then transmit the virus to horses and humans. Mosquitos lay their eggs in standing water and, once eggs hatch, the adult mosquitos can become infected with WNV and/or EEE after feeding on an infected host, such as a bird carrying the virus. Within 10 to 14 days, the mosquito can transmit the virus to both humans and horses