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

Wisconsin animal health officials have confirmed the state’s first case of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in a horse for 2018, the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) reported July 27.

“On Thursday, July 26, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection confirmed a case of Eastern equine encephalitis in a 6-year-old unvaccinated Belgian mare from Washburn County,” the EDCC said. “The mare presented with neurological signs and was examined on July 20, 2018. The horse died or was euthanized and brain tissue samples were submitted to the diagnostic laboratory on July 21, 2018.”

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