LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced Friday a St. Joseph horse has Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE).
This marks the 34th Michigan animal reported with the deadly disease and the fourth in the county.
The horse first showed symptoms of the mosquito-borne-illness on Sept. 23, according to MDHHS. While there is no EEE vaccine for humans, there is one available for horses, which the state says is an important prevention measure.
RELATED: EEE found in Newaygo County horse
EEE is one of the most dangerous mosquito-borne diseases, with a 90 percent fatality rate in horses and a 33 percent fatality rate in humans. As of Oct. 4, there have been nine cases of the disease reported in humans - four of which were fatal.
Aerial treatment has been underway to combat the deadly disease that is affecting 15 counties in Michigan.
As of Oct. 4, more than 328,000 acres have been treated, and five counties are scheduled to be sprayed Friday night. However, some of them are slated as weather alternatives if any need to be canceled due to weather.
They include:
- Areas 1-1 and 1-2 in Allegan County.
- Area 13-2 and 13-3 in Van Buren County.
- Areas 8-1 and 8-2 in Kent County. (Weather alternative)
- Areas 10-1, 10-2 and 10-3 in Montcalm County. (Weather alternative)
- Area 11-1 in Newaygo County. (Weather alternative)
Areas 4-3 and 4-4 in Calhoun County were originally scheduled to be treated Friday, but due to difficulty in processing data, it has been postponed, according to the state. They have not yet released when the spraying will be rescheduled for.
EEE aerial spray zones
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