How to Diagnose Venezuelan Equine Encephalomyelitis

This disease, also known by the acronym VEE and the alternative name Venezuelan equine fever, is a sleeping sickness acquired from mosquitoes. It's been known to affect horses, mules, donkeys, zebras and humans. First discovered in 1936, the disease started in Venezuela and remained in that area until 1968. In 1969 it migrated north, reaching Texas and Mexico in 1971. Unfortunately some horses may not show any clinical signs before they die.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Determine if your horse has a fever and note how high it is along with when the onset of the symptoms began. Often Venezuelan Equine Encephalomyelitis is mistaken for other diseases of the central nervous system.

2. Ascertain if the horse shows signs of depression. This will also be present for other strains of sleeping sickness such as western equine encephalitis, eastern equine encephalitis and African horse sickness.

3. Determine when your horse stopped eating. Venezuelan Equine Encephalomyelitis can be confused with toxic poisoning and can only be diagnosed by isolating the virus in a lab or by blood tests showing antibodies to the virus.

4. Inspect your horse for central nervous system disorders such as lack of coordination, convulsions and head pressing. These symptoms can be mistaken for other central nervous system diseases such as rabies, tetanus and bacterial meningitis.

5. Examine your horse(s) for circling, chewing movements, paddling motion of the limbs, and the classic sawhorse stance. Immediately call your veterinarian if you see any of the symptoms mentioned. There is a vaccine, but it must be administered prior to the start of the mosquito season.

6. Immediately implement a rigorous mosquito control program, quarantine your horses and restrict movement onto your property. Unfortunately, more than 90 percent of infected horses die. Those that survive usually have irreversible brain damage.

Who Can Help Sponsored