1970-01-01 02:00:00
The disease causes high fever, severe headache, muscle weakness and convulsions, and can be fatal. In horses, the main symptoms are fever, lethargy, lack of coordination, blindness and convulsions.
According to the deputy director of the General Directorate of Livestock Services at MGAP, Jorge Viera, this is the first time that EEO has been detected in animals in Uruguay.
Most cases were reported on the border with Argentina, which declared a health emergency last Thursday, due to outbreaks in the center and northeast of the country. There were also isolated cases in the south and center of Uruguay, said Viera, highlighting that mortality does not reach 1%.
The proliferation of mosquitoes, accentuated by the floods that have been affecting the north of the country for more than 45 days, worries authorities. “The clouds of mosquitoes are imposing,” said Viera, remembering that the insects bite migratory birds carrying the virus and then infect animals and people.
Viera added that the vaccines, which exist for horses, only prevent the West and East variants, but not the Venezuelan one, the strongest of the three. However, horses are not usually vaccinated, except for sport horses, a requirement for them to compete.
The cost of immunization, which needs to be done annually, varies from US$22 (R$108) to US$28.
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