EEE is spread by mosquitoes which have
fed on infected wild birds and cannot spread from horse to horse
or from horse to humans. "Wet, warm weather can result in an increase
in the mosquitoes that carry this disease," said Brown. AClearly,
Eastern equine encephalitis poses a mortal risk for horses that haven't
been properly vaccinated to prevent the disease. "We still have about
three months of mosquito season left," he noted, "and the vaccination
could mean the difference between life and death for a horse that's
stricken with the disease. We recommend that horse owners make sure
that EEE vaccinations and boosters are kept up to date. ANY HORSE
THAT HASN'T RECEIVED A PRIMARY SERIES OR BOOSTER WITHIN THE LAST
SIX MONTHS SHOULD BE GIVEN THE VACCINATION OR BOOSTER NOW." Horses
must receive two initial doses of vaccine at a 10-day or two week
interval and an annual immunization thereafter. Brown added that
it's not too late this year for horse owners to have their animals
vaccinated. "This is usually a summer disease problem in New Jersey," Brown
added, "but we won't be out of the woods until a hard freeze ends
mosquito activity."
Only one case of EEE was reported in
horses last year.