Mosquitoes and ticks and the diseases they transmit to animals and humans, are a seasonal threat and their geographic ranges have been expanding in recent years.
Diagram showing path of infectious disease from bird and mosquito to horses and humans.
The bites of mosquitos and ticks pose a fatal threat to horses and humans and given the ease of modern transportation, making sure that infectious diseases are not spread more widely becomes increasingly important.
© 2008 by Louis New window.
Mosquitoes are more than just a nuisance in the great outdoors — they can also spread harmful diseases to humans and animals alike. The MSU VDL tests for these harmful diseases to help veterinarians and public health officials identify and track cases.
Many people know that mosquitoes transmit heartworm infections, malaria and Zika virus but in Michigan, two mosquito-borne viral diseases — West Nile virus, or WNV, and Eastern equine encephalitis, EEE — pose a fatal threat to humans and animals, especially horses. While EEE cases primarily occur in the Eastern U.S., WNV is found throughout the United States.
Testing for Michigan Animals: MDARD Funds Available to Cover Costs
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is excited to announce the continuation of funding to cover the costs of testing suspect animals for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile virus (WNV) for 2023.
The funding is open to anyone in Michigan provided:
- The animal for testing resides in Michigan.
- The animal is (or was recently) showing signs of neurological disease or suddenly died.
- The testing is pre-approved by MDARD.
- The samples are submitted to the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.
- The goal of the grant is to test any Michigan animal suspected of having a mosquito-borne illness, especially equids.
Last year, there were 17 cases of mosquito-borne diseases found in domestic animals in Michigan—nine EEE cases and eight WNV cases. The funding provided by this grant helped to identify 10 of these cases.
Although the number of cases discovered last year was not as high as in previous years, cases were found in counties where the diseases were never previously reported. Testing animals for mosquito-borne diseases not only helps to confirm the presence of the virus but also monitors for any change. This information is used for communicating risk to the public and assessing abatement needs. Testing animals for mosquito-borne diseases provides useful information to help further protect animal and public health. Please be sure to take advantage of this opportunity.
Ticks
Ticks are incredibly small but their geographic ranges have been expanding in recent years. Ticks and tick-borne diseases such as anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever pose a health risk to humans and various species of livestock and companion animals. In recent years, the geographic ranges of these diseases have expanded in part due to changing weather patterns and events.
The ease of modern transportation also allows for movement of animals (and potentially insect/arachnid vectors) all over the globe. Veterinarians and pet owners should be aware of current trends in their area and locations where pets may have lived or traveled previously.
The MSU VDL closely monitors new and emerging tick-borne diseases to provide veterinarians with the best diagnostics to detect possible infections based on the type of tick and geographic region. For example, a new type of Borrelia, termed Borrelia mayonii, has emerged in the western Great Lakes region. Like Borrelia burgdorferi, it is also found in Ixodes scapularis ticks and is a causative agent of Lyme disease. In addition, detections of anaplasma are increasing in areas where it has not been found typically.
See complete article on mosquito and tick bites HERE.
Press release by Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory - Edited for length by EquiMed