Lafourche is fighting the bite

Mosquito Control, Inc., has given the growing mosquito population in Lafourche Parish a double dose of mosquito repellent in recent weeks after eight horses died of Eastern equine encephalitis in the parish.

According to Mosquito Control, Inc., entomologist Stephen Pavlovich, the continued growth of infected horses from Gheens to Larose near Louisiana Highway 654 north of the Intracoastal Waterway prompted the increase of daily repellent sprays and an aerial repellent spray.

Pavlovich said it is common protocol when horse or human encephalitis cases are reported to send trucks out to spray three consecutive times. He said they also send daytime crews out to treat the drains and place follow-up mosquito traps in the target areas.

“The traps will help us determine whether the mosquito populations are high,” he said. “It also tells us if the mosquitoes are infected with the West Nile virus or equine encephalitis.”

As part of a daily routine, the company sends four trucks out for nightly sprays to kill the adult and larva mosquitoes in the Tri-parish area.

Pavlovich said on average the four trucks spray more than 10 gallons of repellent a week. Encephalitis causes swelling of the brain in both horses and humans.

However, the disease cannot be transmitted from horse to humans and other horses, or from humans to horses and other humans.

Mosquitoes can only transmit the virus in two ways – either from bird to bird or from bird to mammal, he said.

Following the eight reported horse deaths in Lafourche Parish, Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Bob Odom is urging horse owners to vaccinate their horses. “There is no cure for Eastern equine encephalitis, but it’s a preventable disease,” he said. “Horse owners often wait until it’s too late to get their horses vaccinated.”

Horses that have not been vaccinated should have two doses administered about two weeks apart. Once initial vaccination has been given, an annual booster is sufficient to maintain immunity.

According to Agriculture and Forestry Spokesman Ashley Rodrigue, EEE vaccinations cost between $25 and $50 a year. “Twenty dollars to $50 a year is a small price to pay for a horse that costs hundreds or thousands of dollars.”

The mortality rate for EEE is 90 percent, according to state veterinarian Dr. Henry Moreau.

“Only rarely do horses recover from EEE,” Odom said. “Even when an animal doesn’t die, it is almost always brain-damaged and is never usable again.”

Moreau said infected horses become depressed and uncoordinated, develop a sleepy appearance, walk in circles and eventually collapse on the ground.

Odom stressed the significance of reporting and testing horses suspected of having the disease. “This is a public health concern and we are asking all horse owners to make sure their animals have up-to-date vaccinations and to consult a veterinarian if their horses are displaying any symptoms,” he said.

“It’s crucial to notify your veterinarian because the information is passed quickly on to other health officials,” Odom said. “With the public health concern over EEE and other mosquito borne illnesses, our animal health officials are an important link to the state and nationwide reporting systems.”

Owners with horses displaying any of these symptoms should contact their local veterinarian. Any suspected equine neuro encephalitis case should be reported even if blood is not pulled, Moreau said.

He said EEE, West Nile virus, western equine encephalitis and Venezuelan equine encephalitis are all reportable on suspicion of disease symptoms, not diagnosis. Recent reports indicate that two more horses are suspected to have EEE in Lafourche Parish. However, the cases haven’t been confirmed, according to Rodrigue.

If confirmed, the total of infected animals in Lafourche Parish would rise to 10. Other horse encephalitis cases are pending in Terrebonne and St. Charles parishes. A concrete amount has not been submitted.

Fortunately, there are no pending human encephalitis cases in the state, according to state

Public Health Veterinarian Gary Balsamo.

He said there was one human encephalitis case reported in Baton Rouge last year.

“The nation’s annual average of human encephalitis cases is between 10 and 12, so it’s not entirely unusual for Louisiana not to have any cases of human encephalitis reported,” he said.