September 18, 2019
By Laura Wagner
A 4-year-old gelding was euthanized at Santa Anita (click here) after breaking its pelvis during training, according to a statement released by the track’s owner, the Stronach Group (click here). The horse, named Zeke, pulled up on the training track on Monday and was put down Tuesday. Per the statement:
Veterinarians diagnosed a pelvic fracture. Zeke was initially stable, but, unfortunately, his condition deteriorated later that evening. After consultation with veterinary experts, the owner’s team determined that this type of injury would not be able to be repaired to support continual weight on all four legs, a must for a horse’s survival.
The statement says Zeke is the second horse to die from injuries sustained on the training track in 2019. It omits that 30 horses died at Santa Anita earlier this year during the winter and spring meets.
In March the track shut down briefly after it was revealed that 21 horses had died at the track in two months....
The east coast and Midwest of the USA is experiencing a serious Outbreak of Eastern Equine Encephalitis.
September 19, 2019
By Glenn McEntyre
A potentially deadly virus (click here) being spread by mosquitoes has made its way to Ohio.
Eastern Equine Encephalitis, or "Triple-E", has killed three people in Michigan. Health officials in Ohio are closely monitoring the spread of the virus.
Stephanie Green boards 36 horses at her Shoo Fly Stables in Fairfield County.
She says her horses are like her children, which is why she takes no chances with their health.
"Horses are very susceptible to a lot of different diseases, so we vaccinate every year. There's a seven-way shot that we give every year."
And this year, that precaution could be even more important.
"We've had three horses infected that have died from Triple-E." said Dr. Tony Forshey, state veterinarian with the Ohio Department of Agriculture. "Triple-E is Eastern Equine Encephalitis. It's a virus that circulates in the bloodstream and then gets into the brain and causes massive swelling. It's pretty much always fatal in those horses."...
The virus can be transmitted to humans in the same way it is transmitted to horses, the mosquito. My understanding is that it takes one mosquito carrying the virus to kill horses and people. There are known virus and bacteria that will cross species lines. When they do cross species lines they are frequently deadly.
From the Association of Equine Practitioners:
In the United States, (click here) equine encephalitides for which vaccines are available include eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE), western equine encephalomyelitis (WEE), Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis (VEE) and West Nile Virus encephalomyelitis. The distribution of EEE has historically been restricted to the eastern, southeastern and some southern states (but disease incidence is also reported in the upper Midwestern states of Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin). Outbreaks of WEE have been recorded in the western and mid-western states. Variants of WEE have caused sporadic cases in the northeast and southeast, most notably Florida. VEE occurs in South and Central America but has not been diagnosed in the United States for more than 40 years. The availability of licensed vaccine products combined with an inability to completely eliminate risk of exposure justifies immunization against EEE and WEE as core prophylaxis for all horses residing in or traveling to North America and any other geographic areas where EEE and/or WEE is endemic....
September 9, 2019
By Christopher Zara
Some states (click here) this year are reporting elevated cases of Eastern equine encephalitis virus (or EEE or EEEV), a rare but serious and often deadly cause of brain infection transmitted through mosquito bites....
Connecticut: (click here) State health officials said this week they’ve confirmed their first case of EEE in Connecticut since 2013.
Massachusetts: (click here) Officials confirmed a ninth human case of EEE as of this week, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Michigan: (click here) The state is experiencing its worst outbreak of EEE in more than a decade, with at least three deaths and four additional cases confirmed. Health officials are urging affected counties to cancel activities taking place after dusk.
New Jersey: (click here) The disease was recently detected in Union County, officials said.
Rhode Island: (click here) At least three cases have been diagnosed, according to the Rhode Island Department of Health, including a child under 10....
The CDC statistics (click here) clearly show the average number of cases are 7 per year. This year the number of reported cases is estimated to be 73 and possibly rising.
The virus is very nasty. My understanding is that even if a person survives the virus' onslaught, there is a strong possibility they can still die within 3 to 4 years because of the damage done to body systems, including the brain.
September 18, 2019
By A. Pawlowski
...The highest chance of infection (click here) in humans is typically August, though the peak time for transmission extends through September, officials have said.
Most infections happen in the Atlantic and Gulf Coast states, and some in the Great Lakes region, according to the CDC. Aerial mosquito spraying began last month in some of the communities at high risk for EEE.
“It’s concerning from a public health point of view, no question about it,” Joe Conlon, a retired U.S. Navy entomologist and spokesman for the American Mosquito Control Association, told TODAY.
“(But) it’s not a very wide-spread disease, thank goodness… it’s not common like West Nile virus.”...
...Symptoms start four to 10 days after a person is bitten and include:
headache
high fever
chills
vomiting
As the disease progresses, the patient can suffer from disorientation, seizures and coma. There is no specific treatment....
PREVENTION is the best possible way to avoid the mosquito bite. In addition to a good insect repellant, STAGNANT water, even a puddle, can be a breeding place for mosquitos. Be sure all water is drained off lawn furniture after a rainstorm, fill any holes in the lawn or garden if there is stagnant water available to breed these mosquitos. But, as governors involved this year stated, stay inside upon the evening when the sun is setting. If any questions arise, the local Country Extension Agent should be helpful in prevention on a local basis.
- Use insect repellents that contain the active ingredient DEET.
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outside.
- Maintain window and door screening.
- Empty water from mosquito-breeding sites around the home (buckets, old tires, etc).
- Use nets and/or fans over outdoor eating areas.
Health officials have said EEE will continue to be a concern until the first hard frost of the year.
September 20, 2019
By Christopher Gavin
It started with a headache. (click here)
The pain settled in for Star Jackman, of Coventry, Rhode Island, on Aug. 30.
The first grader had just finished her first two days into the new school year.
And while she would have usually either played with a Barbie doll or two, sang, or danced her way into the weekend, the 6-year-old spent the next day in bed, asleep, her father, Reginald Jackman, told The Providence Journal.
“She started running a fever and throwing up,” Reginald Jackman, 35, said in an interview with ABC6. “Sunday afternoon we brought her to the walk-in.”
Star is one of three people in Rhode Island this year who has contracted the potentially fatal and rare mosquito-borne Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus — a diagnosis that would take weeks to come for the Jackman family.
Just for the record, San Anita Race Track is not the only place where horses are dying unexpectedly.
September 11, 2019
By Kenneth Garger
Three racehorses died last week at Belmont Park (click here) on the track’s first week of racing for their fall meet.
Last Friday, which was opening day at the Long Island track, saw two deaths, according to online data provided by the New York Gaming Association.
One of the horses, Passporttovictory, was injured in the third race and removed from the track by an ambulance.
The thoroughbred was later euthanized....
Have a better weekend and have family activities indoors. It can be fun.
