A horse in Otsego county has tested positive for the virus that causes Eastern Equine Encephalitis.
The Health Department of Northwest Michigan warns the virus can be deadly and encourages horse owners to vaccinate their horses.
The virus is spread through mosquito bites.
Four people in Michigan were infected last year. It can cause headaches, tremors and brain damage, and can even prove fatal. Thirty three percent of people who become ill die from the virus, making it one of the most dangerous mosquito-borne illnesses in the U.S.
Horses fare even worse. For those that become ill from EEE, there is a 90% fatality rate.
For Penny Bachelder, the owner of Maple Ridge Stables in Cheboygan County, vaccinating her horses is always a top priority.
“I think all horses should be vaccinated for EEE,” she said.
Bachelder also takes steps to limit the number of mosquitoes around her stables.
“Our tanks are flushed and cleaned on a regular basis so we don’t have any areas where they would be breeding,” she said.
The health department also recommends moving horses under a fan in a barn during peak mosquito activity.
