Alabama Department of Public Health officials have confirmed there have been four positive cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) found in horses in Dallas County, Alabama.
Additional reports of cases in horses in Elmore and Montgomery counties have been received, but those cases have not been confirmed by laboratory tests.
EEE affecting horses, chickens and people
Eastern Equine Encephalitis is a viral disease spread by mosquitoes that can affect people and horses.
In Baldwin and Mobile counties, four sentinel chickens have tested positive for West Nile virus. State Public Health Veterinarian Dee W. Jones said the significance of positive tests in horses and chickens means the virus is present in the mosquito population. He warns that the same mosquitoes pose a risk to humans.
Eastern Equine Encephalitis is a viral disease spread by mosquitoes that can affect people and horses. People who are infected may suffer a range of symptoms, from no symptoms to a mild, flu-like illness with fever, headaches and fatigue to serious illness involving seizures and, in rare cases, coma and death.
People are also advised to take steps to reduce the number of mosquitoes around their homes or properties, including eliminating standing water in yards and making sure all windows and doors have screens that are in good repair to prevent mosquitoes from getting inside. In addition:
- Dispose of used tires, tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots or similar containers in which water collects.
- Drill holes in the bottoms of recycling containers that are kept outdoors. Make sure roof gutters drain properly and clean clogged gutters in the spring and fall.
- Turn over plastic wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use, and change the water in bird baths twice a week.
- Clean vegetation and debris from the edges of ponds.
- Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, outdoor saunas and hot tubs, and drain water from pool covers.