Orange County Sleeping Sickness Vaccination

Eastern, western and Venezuelan are the three strains of this disease encountered in North America. All three are caused by viruses which have reservoir hosts in birds and are transmitted to the horse by mosquito bites. The clinical signs in horses involve neurological signs which may appear to make the horse sleepy, giving the disease its name. Because the disease is caused by a virus, it is difficult to treat but relatively easy to prevent with annual vaccinations.

All horses should receive a “Sleeping Sickness” (Encephalomyelitis) booster annually.