Eastern Equine Encephalitis Is Confirmed in a St. Joseph County Equine

Friday September 2, 2022

Both horse owners and Michigan residents need to take precautions

Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency has been notified by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Laboratories of a confirmed case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in St. Joseph County. This discovery underscores the need for both horse owners and Michigan residents to take precautions.

“We are reminding residents to take precautions to protect themselves and their horses from mosquito bites.  In this case, the animal was an unvaccinated 3-year old filly who has died from the infection,” says Paul Andriacchi, Director of Environmental Health at the Community Health Agency. “Vaccination of horses can prevent EEE and West Nile Virus which are both mosquito-borne diseases.”

To protect your animals:

• Talk to your veterinarian about vaccinating horses against EEE.

• Place horses in a barn under fans during peak mosquito activity from dusk to dawn.

• Use an insect repellant on the animals that is approved for the species.

• Eliminate standing water on the property (fill in puddles, repair eaves, and change the water in buckets and bowls at least once a day).

• Contact your veterinarian if a horse shows signs of the illness: loss of awareness of their surroundings, walk in circles, exhibit muscle paralysis, stupor, lethargy, and uncoordination.

To protect yourself and your family:

• Using EPA registered insect repellents with one of the following active ingredients: DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol, and 2-undecanone; follow the product label instructions and reapply as directed.

• Don’t use repellent on children under 2 months of age. Instead, dress your child in clothing that covers arms and legs and cover crib, stroller and baby carrier with mosquito netting.

• Wearing shoes and socks, light-colored long pants and long-sleeved shirts when outdoors.

• Making sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or other openings.

• Using bed nets when sleeping outdoors or in conditions with no window screens.

• Eliminating all sources of standing water that can support mosquito breeding around your home, including water in bird baths, abandoned swimming pools, wading pools, old tires and any other object holding water once a week.

Overall, mosquito-borne illnesses, like EEE, will continue to pose a risk to both animals and humans until late fall when nighttime temperatures consistently fall below freezing. For more information about how to protect yourself from EEE and other mosquito transmitted diseases, visit www.michigan.gov/emergingdiseases. 

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency is committed to promoting wellness, preventing disease, providing health care, and protecting the environment.