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Two more Lanark County horses test positive for eastern equine encephalitis virus

An adult mosquito is shown in the laboratory as the 2007 West Nile Virus program of the Middlesex-London Health Unit kicked off in Strathroy, Ont., Thursday May 10, 2007. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Dave Chidley An adult mosquito is shown in the laboratory as the 2007 West Nile Virus program of the Middlesex-London Health Unit kicked off in Strathroy, Ont., Thursday May 10, 2007. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Dave Chidley
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The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit says two more horses in its region have tested positive for eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV).

The disease is typically found in birds but can spread via mosquitoes, similar to West Nile Virus.

Horses infected with EEEV cannot spread the disease to humans, but it signals that mosquitoes carrying the virus are present in the area. The mosquitoes that carry the virus are usually found close to flooded woodlands.

A horse in Lanark County tested positive for the virus last month, and a horse in Ottawa has also recently tested positive.

While a vaccine against EEEV exists for horses, there is none for humans; and so, the health unit is reminding everyone to take precautions against mosquito bites:

  • 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.

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