COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina state veterinarian horse owners in the state need to get their horses vaccinated.
Two cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) has resulted in the deaths of two horses in the stae, according to State Veterinarian Michael J. Neault, Director of Clemson Livestock Poultry Health.
One horse was a two-year-old quarter horse gelding in Sumter County that was diagnosed with the disease at necropsy. The second was a five-year-old quarter horse mare in Lee County that was euthanized.
They are the first known cases of the summer.
Another case was confirmed in a horse in Berkeley County in mid-January.
Neault reminded horse owners to work with their veterinarian to protect their animals from EEE, West Nile virus (WNV) and rabies.
“We had some heavy rains in areas across the state over the last month which means that mosquito populations can be extremely high. It is always important for horse owners to stay on top of equine vaccination schedules, but it is essential now considering the rain that we’ve had,” Neault said.
Borne by mosquitoes, these diseases have a very high mortality rate in infected, unvaccinated horses — between 30 and 40 percent for West Nile and 90 percent for EEE.
However, widespread vaccination has kept the number of cases comparatively low in South Carolina compared to nearby states.
A list of reportable diseases, along with other resources, is published on the Clemson website.