By Molly Lovell
Staff Writer

Kathy Lank said she’ll feel more comfortable about the health of her horses once the first hard frost comes.
The owner of Lank Farm in Kennebunk is boarding 19 horses and said the threat of Eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, is very real.
According to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, EEE is a disease caused by the Eastern equine encephalitis virus that can affect horses, humans and, sometimes, flocks of birds.
 Since Aug. 3, EEE has been diagnosed in 14 horses in five counties in Maine, including York County. All the horses were euthanized. The first case of EEE in a pheasant flock in South Berwick was confirmed Sept. 18, and another was identified Sept. 28 in York County.
If a mosquito infected with the virus bites a horse or human, the animal or person can become sick, but people and horses cannot spread the disease.
“We haven’t had it here, but it’s been in Gorham and Berwick, it’s scary,” Lank said.
As a precaution, Lank said all horses at her farm are vaccinated and sprayed for insects.
“We also put the horses out later in the morning and bring them in earlier in the evening,” she said.
Gabriela Rodriguez owns Blixx farm in West Kennebunk, where she teaches people about the care of equines through her horses, Fritz and Lexxie.
Both are vaccinated, and Rodriquez urges horse owners to leave it to an expert to vaccinate a horse.
“A lot of people don’t have the skills to do that, but they do it to save money and end up mishandling it,” she said.
State Veterinarian Don Hoenig said signs that a horse has been infected include mild lethargy, stumbling and not eating.
“Signs progress fairly rapidly within 12 hours or so,” he said.
Hoenig said the EEE vaccine is about $8 and is usually followed by a booster dose. It also protects against other diseases, such as rabies and tetanus.
“In southern states it’s more of a year-round problem. I’m told down there they vaccinate as many as two or three times a year,” he said.
Hoenig said here, veterinarians suggest the primary dose during spring, which will last six months through mosquito season.
He said the horses that have died in Maine because of EEE were either not vaccinated or had an incomplete vaccination history.
“There are a variety of reasons why people elect not to vaccinate. I think one of the issues is there has been complacency surrounding this disease,” said Hoenig. “Maybe people think we didn’t have it in Maine, or it could be economic considerations, too.”
Rodriguez said Fritz and Lexxie are also sprayed for insects in an effort to prevent disease, which she said was a “necessary” part of owning a horse.
Even though temperatures have been dipping as fall progresses, she said as soon as the sun hits a horse’s back, bugs are immediately attracted to the animals.
When her horses are outside of their stalls, Rodriguez dresses them in a white protective coat that wards off flies. It covers their backs, necks and stomachs – the most common places flies are attracted to.
Hoenig said there are a number of fairly inexpensive sprays horse owners can use, but above all, recommends vaccination as a key tool for prevention.

According to the CDC, a person infected with EEE doesn’t always exhibit signs. If signs do appear, they generally occur three to 10 days after infection and include a high fever, stiff neck, headache, lack of energy and inflammation of the brain.
There is no treatment for EEE in humans or animals, and it can result in coma or death. No Maine residents have died from EEE, but in the fall of 2008, a man spending time in Cumberland County died from the virus. There is no vaccine for humans.
Scott Lindsay, a biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, said pheasants are a species of bird that seem to be highly susceptible to EEE.
“A virus is going to probably do well on any animal that does not have any type of real immunity against it. Pheasants are considered exotic birds; they come from China. Because they’re not native to the area they don’t evolve with immunity to it,” Lindsay said.
Hunting season for pheasant begins Oct. 1, but Lindsay said the greatest risk facing hunters is still exposure to mosquitoes, not consuming the game bird.
Lindsay speculated the large amount of rain the state received at the beginning of summer might have contributed to the cases of EEE, as standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Anyone concerned they might have an animal infected with EEE should contact the CDC through the state’s Web site, www.maine.gov.

Molly Lovell can be contacted at 282-4337, ext. 223 or news@kennebunkpost.com.