Horse in Wellington County tests positive for mosquito-borne virus

Officials say a horse in Wellington County has tested positive for the Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus. CTV’s Alexandra Holyk has more on the disease.

A horse in Wellington County has tested positive for the Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus, which is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito.

Eastern Equine Encephalitis, or EEEV, is a rare but serious illness. While it mostly affects horses, people can also catch the disease.

Symptoms in humans include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, weakness, diarrhea, seizures, drowsiness and behavioural changes. Some people can develop meningitis or encephalitis while, in severe cases, the virus is potentially life-threatening.

There is no risk of human-to-human transmission.

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health said there has never been a confirmed human case of EEEV in the region.

The horse, they explained, had not travelled outside Wellington County.

“This local case highlights the ongoing presence of mosquito-borne viruses and the importance of staying protected,” Dr. Matthew Tenenbaum, the associate medical officer of health for Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, said in a media release. “We remain proactive in monitoring and controlling mosquito populations in our region, but everyone should take basic steps to avoid mosquito bites.”

To reduce the risk of infection by a mosquito, officials stressed the importance of:

• Wearing light-coloured clothing
• Wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, especially when outdoors at dawn or dusk
• Using Health Canada-approved mosquito repellents
• Repairing all screens on windows and doors
• Draining standing water around your property (flowerpots, birdbaths, kiddie pools, clogged gutters, etc.)

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health said they continue to conduct mosquito testing around the region for both the West Nile virus and EEEV.