Mosquitoes infect 4 horses with EEE in Trumbull, Ashtabula

Staff report

WARREN

The Trumbull County Board of Health is warning people to be cautious to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes because of four cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis being found in Trumbull and Ashtabula counties.

EEE infections in humans are rare, and Ohio has no confirmed human cases, but the disease can be serious when it occurs.

A horse in Trumbull County and three in Ashtabula County have been confirmed, the health department said in a press release.

Mosquitoes carrying EEE can infect birds, horses and humans. Other diseases people can get from mosquitoes in Ohio include West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis and La Crosse encephalitis.

Cases of mosquito-borne diseases in Ohio typically occur in late summer and early fall when mosquitoes are most abundant.

Horses infected with EEE can experience symptoms including paralysis, impaired vision, difficulty swallowing, hanging their heads and grinding their teeth.

“EEE cannot be transmitted from horses to humans. It’s transmitted through a bite from an infected mosquito,” said Dr. James Enyeart, Trumbull County health commissioner.