A viral illness primarily transmitted by mosquitoes, Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is fatal in more than 90% of infected horses. There’s no specific antiviral treatment available, so appropriate vaccination and other protective measures are urgently needed to keep horses safe. A serious risk of EEE remains in our area until the first hard frosts come.
Although vaccination is the first line of defense against EEE in horses, it is not a fail-safe. Vaccination failures have occurred even in the face of proper administration and timing of vaccine. Therefore, it’s also critical to avoid exposing your horses to mosquitos and other blood-sucking pests that can transmit EEE.
Unfortunately, farms often are especially vulnerable to mosquitoes because the areas around watering troughs stay muddy and damp—making for ideal mosquito-breeding grounds—while manure mixed with standing water offers the biting insects nutrients.
Follow these tips to manage mosquitoes on the farm:*
*Sources: Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine Professor Sam Telford and “Managing Mosquitoes on the Farm” by the Department of Entomology at University of California, Davis