Ottawa horse tests positive for eastern equine encephalitis virus

In this Aug. 26, 2019, file photo, Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District biologist Nadja Reissen examines a mosquito in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

Ottawa Public Health is urging residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites this summer, after a horse in Ottawa tested positive for eastern equine encephalitis virus.

Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) is normally found in wild birds but can occasionally spread to horses and humans through a mosquito bite, similar to the transmission of West Nile Virus.

"It is important to note that humans do not get infected from a horse or another human," Ottawa Public Health said in a statement.

"The mosquitoes that carry the virus are usually found close to swampy hardwood forests."

There have been three human cases of eastern equine encephalitis in Ontario over the years, according to Ottawa Public Health.  

While horses can be protected by a vaccine against EEEV, there is no vaccine for humans. Ottawa Public Health recommends the following steps to protect yourself from a mosquito bite.

• Apply insect repellent containing DEET or icaridin, making sure to follow label directions; 
• Wear light-coloured, loose-fitting, tightly-woven clothing with long sleeves, long pants and socks; 
• Avoid being outside from dusk to dawn when mosquitoes are most active, and anytime in shady, wooded areas; 
• Ensure that window and door screens are well fitting and without holes. 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says EEEV symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, and drowsiness.

This is the first horse in Ottawa to test positive for eastern equine encephalitis virus this year.