A second horse has died in Cayuga County after contracting Eastern Equine Encephalitis in Red Creek.
The Cayuga County Health Department reports receiving the news of the horse’s passing on Thursday. The first horse’s death was reported to county officials on August 15.
Additional cases of EEE and the West Nile Virus have been recently recorded in Onondaga, Oswego, and Wayne Counties. Mosquito-borne illnesses have been on the rise in the area with mosquito pool tests turning up positive results for triple E and the West Nile virus.
Day after the first horse was reported dead in Cayuga County, a horse in neighboring Wayne County tested positive for the virus.
To date, no human cases have been reported in Cayuga County.
The health department is once again issuing a list of tips to help prevent mosquito-borne illnesses.
- Avoid being outdoors from dusk to dawn when mosquitoes are most active
- If you are outside during active times, wear mosquito repellent and wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, socks, and closed-toe shoes
- Make sure screens on home windows and doors are tight-fitting and free from tears.
- Prevent stagnant water where mosquitoes lay eggs by
- turning over wheelbarrows:
- regularly changing the water in bird baths
- properly maintaining swimming pools
- eliminating low spots on your property where rainwater may accumulate
- cleaning clogged gutters
- removing unused tires from your property
- drilling holes in the bottoms of recycling containers
- If you own a horse, discuss preventative methods with your veterinarian such as vaccination against EEEV
More information can be found on the county’s website.
