Press Releases
10/12/2023
Second Connecticut Horse Confirmed Positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus
(HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Agriculture announced today the second equine case of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) for 2023.
The two-year-old filly, which resided in Windham County, had severe neurological signs at the time of death on September 10, 2023, with the attending veterinarian suspecting head trauma. Diagnostic samples collected and sent to the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (CVMDL) at the University of Connecticut in Storrs found severe meningioencephalitis. Subsequent testing of the tissue confirmed a diagnosis of EEE virus in the unvaccinated animal on October 10, 2023.
EEE is not spread by horse-to-horse or horse-to-human contact. It is a viral disease transmitted through the bites of mosquitoes. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) has detected EEE-infected mosquitoes in 15 Connecticut towns this year – all in New London and Windham counties. The risk for mosquito-borne diseases continues until the first hard freeze ends mosquito activity.
To learn more about the symptoms of EEE and steps to lessen exposure and develop protective immunity, read these tips.
Neurologic diseases of domestic animals, such as EEE, WNV, and Rabies, are reportable to the State Veterinarian at 860-713-2505. For more information, on animals and animal health, visit the state website.
The Connecticut Department of Agriculture mission is to foster a healthy economic, environmental, and social climate for agriculture by developing, promoting, and regulating agricultural businesses; protecting agricultural and aquacultural resources; enforcing laws pertaining to domestic animals; and promoting an understanding among the state's citizens of the diversity of Connecticut agriculture, its cultural heritage, and its contribution to the state's economy. For more information, visit www.CTGrown.gov.
For Immediate Release: Thursday, October 12, 2023
Contact: Rebecca Eddy, 860-573-0323, Rebecca.Eddy@ct.gov