Newsdate: Fri 15 July 2016 – 7:15 am
Location: LEXINGTON, Kentucky

The Equine Disease Communication Center continues its work to protect horses and the horse industry from the threat of infectious diseases in North America by seeking out and reporting real time information about disease outbreaks similar to how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention alerts the human population about diseases in people.

Horse vaccinations - Key to contagious disease prevention

The goal of the Equine Disease Communication Center is to alert the horse industry about disease outbreak information to help mitigate and prevent the spread of disease.

The goal of the EDCC is to alert the horse industry about disease outbreak information to help mitigate and prevent the spread of disease. During July, the EDCC has reported outbreaks of contagious horse diseases from coast to coast.

Three new cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis have been confirmed in South Carolina as of 7/12/16. The State Veterinarian’s office received laboratory confirmation of three new case of EEE as of 7/12/16. #1 was a TWH located in Dorchester County, #2 was a 13 year old pony located in Horry County and #3 was a 2 year old QH located in Kershaw County.

These cases are the first cases in Dorchester and Kershaw counties and the third case in Horry County. None of the 3 horses survived. The total number of confirmed cases in SC in 2016 is now 8.

In addition, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced the second case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis in a Virginia horse this year. The horse, a thoroughbred, was from Suffolk.

The horse had been vaccinated and is recovering. Without vaccination the mortality rate is 80 to 90 percent. VDACS received confirmation of the diagnosis from the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa on July 8.

Virginia also has had one other case of EEE this year, also from Suffolk. In this part of the state veterinarians usually recommend a six-month vaccination interval.

The first case of equine West Nile Virus has been confirmed for 2016 in California. A thoroughbred mare met case definition with neurologic signs and a positive IgM Capture ELISA test for West Nile Virus. The positive horse is located in San Diego County.

The unvaccinated five year-old mare is alive and recovering slowly. CDFA continually monitors and investigates equine neurologic cases for the presence of WNV in California.

On July 5, a new EEE case was confirmed in Jefferson County, Florida. The 1 year old colt had received one previous vaccine against EEE and had no recent travel history. Clinical signs began on June 24 and the horse was euthanized for humane reasons the following day.

This is the second confirmed EEE case in Jefferson County and the eleventh confirmed case in Florida for 2016.

In North Carolina, a Pitt County quarter horse has been confirmed as having died after contracting Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis. The horse exhibited signs of generalized weakness, stumbling, depression and inability to stand or eat. This is the first reported case of EEE in North Carolina this year.