Deadly mosquito-borne horse disease spreads across state

A serious horse disease carried by mosquitoes has spread across South Carolina, making it essential that horse owners have their animals vaccinated, according to officials with Clemson University Livestock-Poultry Health.

Recent cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) have moved beyond the coast to the Midlands and the Upstate, said State Veterinarian and Livestock-Poultry Health Director Boyd Parr.
“One of these cases is in Greenville County and is the first confirmed case in the Upstate in 2016,” Parr said. “The Greenville County case was a 10-year-old quarter horse. The second new case was a five-year-old quarter horse in Horry County. Neither of these horses had been vaccinated according to label instructions and neither survived.”

Eleven cases have been confirmed by Clemson Livestock-Poultry Health in seven counties, four in Horry County alone. Also in the coastal plain, Berkeley, Colleton, Dorchester, Marion counties have reported cases, as has Kershaw County in the Midlands.

Any livestock, including horses, that display these signs must be reported to the state veterinarian at 803-788-2260 within 48 hours, according to state law.

Information on animal diseases and reporting requirements can be found on the Livestock-Poultry Health website, www.clemson.edu/lph.

Author: Jana Pye

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