A horse in Dodge County has died from a mosquito-borne disease: Eastern equine encephalomyelitis. Donna Gilson with the state Department of Ag, Trade and Consumer Protection Gilson notes this is the second horse to die from a mosquito-borne illness this summer, and guesses there could be more. "We had, six years ago, a really bad outbreak of EEE . . . where we lost dozens of horses," says Gilson. "That should really serve as a warning to horse owners."
Equine encephalomyelitis and West Nile virus infection are easily preventable by vaccine . Gilson says horses should be vaccinated every year – preferably in the spring before the first mosquito hatch – but now is not too late to get it done. Mosquitoes can also transmit EEE to humans, but horses can't.