Syracuse, NY -- Two more horses in Onondaga County have tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis, the county Health Department announced Friday afternoon. The horses, which were kept on Lamson Road in Lysander, became ill and died on Sept. 17, officials said. So far, three cases of EEE have been confirmed this year in the county, officials said. The first...
Syracuse, NY -- Two more horses in Onondaga County have tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis, the county Health Department announced Friday afternoon.
The horses, which were kept on Lamson Road in Lysander, became ill and died on Sept. 17, officials said.
So far, three cases of EEE have been confirmed this year in the county, officials said. The first horse, which was stabled on Oswego Road in Lysander, was put down Sept. 10.
An Onondaga County resident infected with the virus died earlier this month, the fourth human EEE death in Central New York since 1971.
County health officials Friday also announced that no EEE was found among mosquitoes trapped last week and tested this week.
Although EEE cases are rare, the virus is one of the most serious mosquito-borne diseases. About one-third of people infected with it die. Most survivors suffer significant brain damage. There is no specific treatment for EEE, nor is there a human vaccine.
Symptoms can range from a mild flu-like illness to sudden fever, muscle pains and a headache that’s often followed quickly by seizures and coma. Symptoms can appear within five to 15 days after the bite of an infected mosquito. EEE is diagnosed through blood or spinal fluid.
Fresh water swamps like the Cicero Swamp are breeding grounds for EEE-infected mosquitoes. The county conducted aerial spraying of the swamp earlier this month.
Dr. Cynthia Morrow, county health commissioner, urged people to continue to remain vigilant and to take measure to reduce exposure to mosquitoes.
She advised residents to use insect repellent, wear long-sleeve shirts and long pants outdoors, and refrain from outdoor activity during prime mosquito feeding times at dawn and dusk.