Horses are especially sensitive to mosquito transmitted encephalitis.
Routine vaccines should include Eastern, Western, and West Nile strains of encephalomyelitis.
Here is a recent issue from public health in Louisiana:
Attention: Louisiana Veterinarians,
The Louisiana Office of Public Health is reminding all practitioners that 2019 has been a year of elevated transmission of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) to horses. The health agency has received reports of EEE cases at a level that has not been observed since 2012. From January 2019 to date, there have been 23 horses confirmed with EEE and one horse reported with West Nile virus. Last year only eight (8) positive EEE horses were reported over the course of the entire year.
The time of elevated transmission of these arboviruses has been observed over the past decade to primarily persist through the end of November. Horses should be immunized against arboviruses. The public should employ measures to avoid mosquito bites. Suggested precautions can be found on the “Fight the Bite” Louisiana Department of Health website at the following link: http://ldh.la.gov/index.cfm/page/1930 . The article addresses West Nile virus specifically, but precautions generally apply to all mosquito-borne diseases.
Call your veterinarian today and make sure your horse is protected.
Vaccines are the best way to prevent costly disease and even death.
Dr Vet Sonya 