The Florida Department of Health in Marion County announced Saturday that an emu in Marion County has tested positive for eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE. The emu was unvaccinated.
This marks three total animal cases of eastern equine encephalitis in Marion County this year. The first two cases involved horses.
Eastern equine encephalitis is a mosquito-borne virus first recognized in humans in 1938. It cycles between mosquitoes and birds in freshwater swampy areas and is capable of infecting mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles. The disease is 80 to 90 percent fatal in horses and emus and 30 to 45 percent fatal in humans. Symptoms develop three to 10 days after the bite of an infected mosquito. The state averages more than 60 reported cases of EEE and one to two human cases annually.
People who board animals or reside in Marion County should maintain a heightened awareness about the threat of EEE. Residents and visitors are encouraged to get their horses vaccinated for EEE if they are not currently vaccinated. Individuals in Marion County should take basic precautions to help limit exposure to the virus by remembering to drain and cover.