A viral disease, EEE affects the central nervous system and is transmitted to horses by infected mosquitoes. | Photo: iStock

The Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) reported July 3 that the Florida Department of Agriculture confirmed 14 cases of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in June.

The EDCC said:

• On June 1, a 10-year-old Arabian mare from Marion County tested positive. The mare had been vaccinated four months prior and was euthanized June 1.
• On June 2, 3-year-old Thoroughbred mare from Nassau County, vaccinated seven months prior, tested positive and was euthanized.
• On June 4, a 2-year-old Trakehner mare from Suwanee County, vaccinated a year prior, tested positive and was euthanized.
• On June 8, an unvaccinated 7-year-old Paint gelding from Putnam County tested positive and was euthanized.
• On June 10, an unvaccinated 5-year-old Spotted Saddle Horse mare from Pasco County tested positive and was euthanized.
• On June 11, a 6-year-old Miniature Horse mare from Gilchrist County, vaccinated two years prior, tested positive and was euthanized.
• On June 12, an unvaccinated 5-year-old pony mare from Marion County tested positive and was euthanized.
• On June 15, an unvaccinated yearling Thoroughbred colt from Suwanee County tested positive and was euthanized.
• On June 16, an unvaccinated 2-year-old Quarter Horse mare from Volusia County tested positive. She was euthanized June 17 due to a poor prognosis.
• On June 17, a yearling Standardbred gelding from Okeechobee County, vaccinated nine months prior, tested positive and was euthanized.
• On June 19, a 2-year-old Quarter Horse mare from Marion County with an unknown vaccine history tested positive and was euthanized.
• On June 21, a 4-year-old female donkey from Volusia County, vaccinated a year prior, tested positive. She was euthanized June 22.
• On June 21, a yearling Thoroughbred colt from Marion County, vaccinated a month prior tested positive. He was euthanized June 23.
• On June 22, a 9-year-old unvaccinated Quarter Horse mare from Sumter County tested positive and was euthanized.

A viral disease, EEE affects the central nervous system and is transmitted to horses by infected mosquitoes. Clinical signs of EEE include moderate to high fever, depression, lack of appetite, cranial nerve deficits (facial paralysis, tongue weakness, difficulty swallowing), behavioral changes (aggression, self-mutilation, or drowsiness), gait abnormalities, or severe central nervous system signs, such as head-pressing, circling, blindness, and seizures. The course of EEE can be swift, with death occurring two to three days after onset of clinical signs despite intensive care; fatality rates reach 75-80% among horses. Horses that survive might have long-lasting impairments and neurologic problems