The Kentucky State Veterinarian's office has announced the first confirmed case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis affecting a Kentucky horse since 2008, and only the second reported naturally infected horse in Kentucky since 1995.
Tennessee Walking Horse death from EEE
The Kentucky State Veterinarian's office has announced the first confirmed case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis affecting a Kentucky horse since 2008.
In Hart County Kentucky: a 10-year-old gelding Tennessee walking horse died. His onset of symptoms started Aug. 16, 2013, which the owner described the horse as being listless, sleepy and unwilling/unable to eat.
The horse was seen by a veterinarian on August 17, and was showing symptoms of being lethargic, reluctant to move, head tilt, mild muscle twitching, unable to eat and head tilt. The horse's condition worsened throughout the day. A series of seizures occurred with the horse becoming recumbent and dieing approximately 48 hours after the disease was noted.
Murray State University's Breathitt Veterinary Center (BVC) contacted the Kentucky State Veterinarian's Office and reported testing conducted on equine serum forwarded by the BVC to USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratory had been reported positive for Eastern equine encephalitis virus IgM (antibody) by an ELISA assay.
Following conversation with the horse’s owner, and in consultation with the attending veterinarian, a diagnosis of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) having affected the horse was confirmed and the Cabinet for Health Services’ Department of Public Health was notified of this diagnosis on Friday evening.
West Nile testing on the horse was negative.
The gelding had no history of West Nile virus or EEE vaccination within the past 36 months and had no recent travel history. Nineteen other horses on the property have not show signs of illness, but have all been vaccinated..
Through Aug. 27, 2013, the Centers for Disease Control has reported 70 veterinary (presumably equine) and three human cases of Eastern equine encephalitis being diagnosed in the United States this calendar year.