First horse case of EEE Virus reported in Hamilton since 2019

HAMILTON, ON – City of Hamilton Public Health Services has received confirmation of the first horse case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) locally since 2019. To date there have been no reports of human illness caused by EEE virus in Hamilton.

EEE is transmitted through a virus that is typically found in wild birds, however humans and/or horses bitten by an infected mosquito can become ill with EEE. Symptoms of EEE in people usually appear three to ten days after an infected mosquito bites a person. Most people bitten by an infected mosquito won’t have any symptoms. Others will only get a mild flu-like illness with fever, headache and fatigue. Severe cases of EEE involves encephalitis (an inflammation of the brain), which starts with a sudden headache, high fever, chills and vomiting. 

Take precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitos:

• Use a mosquito repellent (bug spray) containing DEET or Icaridin. 
• Avoid areas where mosquitoes are known to be present or cover up by wearing light coloured clothing with long sleeves and long pants when in mosquito areas such as wooded areas, on the golf course, or in the garden, especially at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
• Reduce mosquito breeding sites by removing standing water at least weekly from your property. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in very shallow standing water. If you remove the standing water, they cannot lay eggs.
• Horses can and should be vaccinated against EEE and West Nile Virus. 

Hamilton Public Health Services continually assesses the risk for human illness as part of a comprehensive vector-borne disease surveillance and prevention program. The City is currently completing its third round of mosquito larvicide treatments on city street catch basins, in addition to treatment of surface waters on public land. 

“While the risk of being infected with Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus is low, this serves as a good reminder to residents to please continue to take precautions to avoid illness spread by mosquitoes,” said Dr. Bart Harvey, Associate Medical Officer of Health. “Employing simple preventive measures such as using insect repellent containing DEET or Icaridin, covering up, and removing standing water on your property to prevent mosquito breeding will reduce your risk while you enjoy the outdoors. The risk of these infections will drop once there is a heavy frost that reduces the number of mosquitoes.”

For additional information on the City’s mosquito control program, visit the city's West Nile Virus page or call 905-546-2489.