According to information from the Equine Disease Communication Center, three horses in Lambton County, Ontario, were confirmed as having contracted eastern equine encephalitis.
The EDCC, by way of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, reported that the three horses — two Quarter Horse geldings, 20 and 11 years old; and a yearling filly — began to display the signs of the disease on Sept. 22 and were confirmed as positive for encephalitis on Oct. 9. All three horses succumbed to the illness.
The EDCC reported that both geldings were from the same farm and that the filly was located on a farm five miles away. No quarantine is in place.
Eastern equine encephalitis is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes and other biting insects. Horses affected with the disease are not contagious and do not pose a risk to other horses or humans. While a rare disease, it is extremely severe, with only 5 to 25 per cent of horses infected surviving.
For more information on eastern equine encephalitis, please refer to this fact sheet from the American Association of Equine Practitioners.
(with files from EDCC)