Horse illness in Dillon County

State veterinary officials urge South Carolina horse owners to vaccinate their animals.  A case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis was discovered Friday in Dillon County.  It’s a serious mosquito-borne illness than can also affect humans.  In un-vaccinated horses, EEE is almost always fatal.  Symptoms include stumbling, circling, head-pressing, depression or apprehension, weakness of legs, partial paralysis, inability to stand, muscle twitching or death.  Last year South Carolina 49 cases led the country.  Of those, 48 died.  Rains at crucial times across much of the state make conditions favorable for mosquito breeding.  Any livestock–including horses– that display neurological signs must be reported within 48 hours to Boyd Parr, state veterinarian, at 803/788-2260.