The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) has confirmed the first case of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in a Virginia horse this year. The affected horse, a 12-year-old Miniature mare, was from Chesapeake and had not been vaccinated for EEE.

Last year Virginia had one reported case of equine EEE in a horse from Suffolk.

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