Maine horse infected with mosquito-borne virus that can cause brain swelling

A Maine horse has been infected with a mosquito-borne virus that can cause brain swelling in humans.

It’s the third domestic animal in Maine to contract eastern equine encephalitis this year, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The horse contracted the virus, also known as Triple-E, in Somerset County. Two domesticated emus and a wild bird also have been infected.

Maine has seen an uptick in mosquito-borne viruses this year, according to the Maine CDC. More than a dozen birds have been found infected with West Nile virus in recent weeks in Bangor , Bar Harbor , Bridgton, Fryeburg, Parsonsfield, Portland , Sidney and Yarmouth.

Meanwhile, Jamestown Canyon virus has been found in four mosquito pools here, including in Orono .

“These positive cases of EEE and West Nile virus should prompt Maine people and visitors to take action to protect themselves whenever they go outside,” Maine CDC Director Puthiery Va said in a Friday statement. “The best way to keep yourself, your loved ones, and domestic animals safe from these serious viruses is to avoid mosquito bites as much as possible.”

No humans have been infected with the viruses this year, though a New Hampshire resident died last month after contracting eastern equine encephalitis, the first human infection in the Granite State in a decade.

The viruses can’t be spread from human to human or animal to human. Only the bite of an infected mosquito can spread them, according to the Maine CDC.

These mosquito-borne viruses often present with flu-like symptoms in humans, but more severe symptoms include brain swelling and spinal cord inflammation.