The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets received confirmation

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets received confirmation this week of a horse in Orleans County that tested positive for Eastern equine encephalitis. Orleans County had not previously been identified as having mosquitoes testing positive for EEE. This is the second horse testing positive this year in Vermont. The horse in Orleans County was unvaccinated and died. The horse was tested on October 4. It likely contracted the disease in mid-September during warmer than normal weather. EEE, which spreads through the bite of an infected mosquito, is rare but can cause serious and life-threatening illness in people and some animals. Horse owners should consult with their veterinarians and make sure their animals are properly vaccinated for EEE, West Nile virus, and other viruses spread by infected insects or ticks. Horses cannot spread EEE or West Nile viruses to humans or other horses.