Is Sleeping Sickness In Horses Contagious?

Horses and humans do not transmit the illness to one another. Equine encephalomyelitis is the veterinary term for sleeping sickness, a rare viral disease that affects the central nervous systems of the equine species, including zebras, donkeys, and horses. Protect yourself and your pet.

What causes equine sleeping sickness?

Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) is a mosquito-borne viral disease that primarily affects horses. The disease, also called “sleeping sickness,” causes inflammation or swelling of the brain and spinal cord.

Can humans get equine encephalitis?

The eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is a rare illness in humans and only a few cases are reported in the United States each year. Most illnesses occur in the Northeastern Atlantic states or the Gulf Coast states.

How do you prevent EEE in horses?

What can I do to prevent Eastern Equine Encephalitis?

1. Vaccinate your horses for EEE at least twice yearly.
2. Remove sources of standing water in pastures on your property.
3. Apply fly masks, fly sheets and/or fly leggings to horses when they are at pasture.
4. Spray horses with insect repellent.

How is Western equine encephalitis transmitted to a horse?

Western Equine Encephalitis is a viral illness that is transmitted to people and horses through the bite of an infected mosquito. The virus is an alphavirus and is closely related to Eastern Equine Encephalitis and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis viruses.

How is encephalitis transmitted to humans?

Most diagnosed cases of encephalitis in the United States are caused by herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, arboviruses (such as West Nile Virus), which are transmitted from infected animals to humans through the bite of an infected tick, mosquito, or other blood-sucking insect, or enteroviruses.

What is the survival rate of encephalitis?

Mild cases of encephalitis are usually short and result in a full recovery. However, despite improvements in diagnosis and treatment, encephalitis still leads to death in about 10% of patients.

How fast does encephalitis progress?

Symptoms appear 4 to 10 days following infection and can range from mild flu-like symptoms to full-blown encephalitis. About 5 to 10 cases are reported each year.

What are the first signs of EEE?

Most people infected with EEE virus do not become ill. When symptoms do occur they can range from mild fever and headache to coma. Other symptoms include high fever, fatigue, muscle aches, neck stiffness, tremors, or confusion.

What is the mortality rate of EEE?

Lethality: Fatality rates for EEE are estimated to be from 50% to 75%. Mortality rates are highest among young children and the elderly. Transmissibility: EEE infection occurs when a person is bitten by an infected mosquito. The virus is not directly transmitted from person-to-person.

Can a horse survive EEE?

Horses infected with EEE often do not survive. Survival rates of horses infected with WEE is 70-80%. For VEE, death rates are variable but can be as high as 90%.

What triggers encephalitis?

Encephalitis is most often due to a virus, such as: herpes simplex viruses, which cause cold sores (this is the most common cause of encephalitis) the varicella zoster virus, which causes chickenpox and shingles. measles, mumps and rubella viruses.

Does encephalitis go away by itself?

In mild cases of encephalitis, the inflammation will likely resolve in a few days. For people who have severe cases it may require weeks or months for them to get better. It can sometimes cause permanent brain damage or even death.

How do you detect encephalitis?

Brain scans
A scan of the brain can help show whether you have encephalitis or another problem such as a stroke, brain tumour or brain aneurysm (a swelling in an artery). The 2 main types of scan used are: a CT scan. an MRI scan.

How is EEE diagnosed in horses?

Serologic testing remains the primary method for diagnosing EEE virus infection. Combined with a consistent clinical presentation in an endemic area, a rapid and accurate diagnosis of acute EEE virus disease can be made by the detection of EEE virus-specific IgM antibody in serum or CSF.

Where is EEE most common?

EEEV transmission is most common in and around freshwater hardwood swamps in the Atlantic and Gulf Coast states and the Great Lakes region.

How long does Triple E take to kick in?

After a EEE-infected mosquito bite, people usually begin to experience symptoms within 4 to 10 days. (Reassuringly, only about 5% of people infected with the virus develop a life-threatening illness.) Some people may experience flu-like symptoms like fever, chills, lack of energy, and body aches.

Is there a vaccine for EEE in horses?

Although rare, the disease has a high mortality rate in horses and humans. The AAEP recommends the EEE vaccine as a core vaccine. Horses should be vaccinated annually, at minimum. Work with your veterinarian to establish an appropriate vaccination schedule for your horse(s).

Is there a vaccine for EEE?

Actually, there is a human vaccine for eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), but it has never been approved for public use. The U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases—the military medical research institute at Fort Detrick in Maryland—developed a human EEE vaccine in the mid-1980s.

Why is EEE a problem?

Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus is spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. Human cases of EEE disease are rare but can cause serious illness. About 30% of people ill from EEE die and many who survive the infection are left with permanent neurologic damage.

What is the mortality rate of equine encephalitis virus?

Eastern and Western Equine Encephalomyelitis
EEE is often fatal in horses; the mortality rate is 50 to 90%. WEE is more likely to be asymptomatic or mild, with mortality rates of approximately 20 to 30%. Significant morbidity and mortality can also occur in poultry, game birds and ratites.