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

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture has confirmed Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in an unvaccinated yearling donkey jenny in Duplin County, the Equine Disease Communication Center reported July 30.

This is the state’s fourth case of EEE in 2018.

A viral disease, EEE affects the central nervous system and is transmitted to equids 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. Equids that survive might have long-lasting impairments and neurologic problems