Michigan Confirms First EEE Case of 2020

The state veterinarian cautions horse owners and citizens to take precautions against potential infection.
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Michigan Confirms First EEE Case of 2020
The affected horse is a 2-year-old filly from Clare County. | Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) officials have confirmed the state’s first case of Eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) for 2020. The affected horse is a 2-year-old filly from Clare County.

In an MDARD statement, state veterinarian Nora Wineland, DVM, stressed the importance of precautions, by both horse owners and residents, in preventing the mosquito-borne disease, which can also infect humans.

EEE 101

Eastern equine encephalomyelitis is caused by the Eastern equine encephalitis virus, for which wild birds are a natural reservoir. Mosquitoes that feed on EEE-infected birds can transmit the virus to humans, horses, and other birds. Horses do not develop high enough levels of these viruses in their blood to be contagious to other animals or humans. Because of the high mortality rate in horses and humans, EEE is regarded as one of the most serious mosquito-borne diseases in the United States

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