Japanese encephalitis virus in horses

All those involved in horse care are advised to be alert for signs of Japanese encephalitis following outbreaks in piggeries in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.

apanese encephalitis is a viral zoonotic disease that is spread by mosquitoes to people, horses, pigs and other animals.

People and horses become infected through the bite of infected mosquitoes but are considered ‘dead end’ hosts. The disease is not caught from horses or transmitted from person to person. Mosquito bite prevention is the key for horse owners to protect their stock.

While there are currently no reported cases of the virus in Western Australia, there has been a significant surge in cases on the east coast, which has resulted in increased bio-security measures and reporting requirements.

Please take the time to read the information from the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment below.

Emergency animal disease alert – Horses