A mosquito born disease kills a Mexican gray wolf pup at Binder Park Zoo. Could this disease also be dangerous to humans?

According to WOOD, Eastern Equine Encephalitis is disease that comes from a mosquito bite. It can effect animals as well as humans.

Binder Park Zoo says after the lab tests it is confirmed that EEE is the cause of the wolf pups death and the first case of EEE to hit Calhoun County this year.

State officials say that the first human case in the region was discovered last Friday.

Here is the statement form zoo Veterinarian Kim Thompson:

"Although EEE infection in canines is very, very rare, there have been a few cases previously reported in domestic dog puppies. All species considered highly susceptible to EEE infection at the zoo, including domestic and non-domestic equine species and ostriches, are vaccinated on a yearly basis. Zoos have a wide range of species and can be important indicators for detecting diseases in an area. All animals at Binder Park Zoo that die have a complete necropsy and any additional disease testing performed by a veterinarian to determine the cause of death. As such, it's not uncommon for a zoo veterinarian to detect a new disease in an area. In fact, a zoo veterinarian was the first to detect West Nile Virus after it entered the United States many years ago."

If you plan on visiting the zoo, they have set up mosquito spraying stations at no charge to protect against EEE. Zoo officials are also exploring other avenues to protect animals and visitors.

Calhoun County Public Health Department representative Eric Pessell said regarding EEE, "It's a rare disease. We don't see it very often and we certainly don't see it in the numbers that we currently have. I think we now have more human cases in the state of Michigan than they've ever recorded."

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