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Forest County Horse Dies From EEE; First This Year

www.freestockphotos.biz

A 2-month old unvaccinated filly from Forest county is the first reported Wisconsin horse to have become infected with Eastern Equine Encephalitis this year. The filly was euthanized on August 23.

Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection spokesperson Raechelle Belli describes the disease....

"....it's caused by a virus transmitted by mosquitos. Those mosquitos bite an animal with EEE, then they take it back to an avian(bird) host where it's concentrated then the mosquito takes it to other animals or humans....."

The inflammation of the brain is fatal to horses in 90 percent of cases.

Belli says humans infected often have flu-like symptoms. She says the best preventative is to have horses vaccinated and to take standard precautions to limit mosquitos in a given area such as getting rid of standing water.

Wisconsin last experienced a major outbreak in 2011, with more than 30 cases mostly in north central Wisconsin. . Because the disease follows mosquito populations, it normally occurs beginning in mid- to late summer and remains a threat until the first killing frost.

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