State Urges Horse Owners to Vaccinate

NEW YORK STATE—State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball urged New York horse owners to vaccinate their animals against Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile Virus, both of which are spread by mosquitoes. This year, cases of EEE have been found in Clinton, Franklin, St. Lawrence, Washington, Madison, Oneida, Orange, Ulster, Cayuga and Wayne counties. There has been one confirmed equine case of WNV in Oswego County.

Neither disease can be cured, and both can be fatal to unvaccinated horses.

Vaccines are effective for up to a year when administered properly in advance of increased mosquito activity. Depending on circumstances, a veterinarian may recommend repeating the vaccine every six months.

Horse owners are also encouraged to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds, use insect repellent, and remove animals from infested areas during peak activity times like dawn and dusk.

For more information, visit https://agriculture.ny.gov/animals. Suspected cases of EEE or WNV should be reported to a veterinarian and the State Department of Agriculture and Markets Division of Animal Industry at (518) 457-3502.