What You Need to Know About EEE, West Nile & Other Mosquito Borne Illnesses

You have seen it in the news, and it is life-threatening. 

What you need to know about Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and other mosquito borne illnesses.

Charlie is my favorite horse at Joyful Journey Farm. When I heard that this happy, healthy, energetic horse had gone through the crippling illness of EEE, my heart skipped a beat. EEE has over a 90% mortality rate in horses. This horse standing before me did not show signs of ANY issues ten years after he had contracted it. I needed to hear more to find out how Charlie survived and is here today, a happy and healthy horse.

After losing their horse Bo to West Nile Virus, another mosquito borne illness that affects the brain, Donna and Bryan (Charlie’s parents) made it their mission to not lose another horse to this horrible virus. When Charlie began to exhibit the same symptoms that had affected Bo, Donna and Bryan knew they had to act quickly as the thought of losing another horse was too much to bear. They immediately got out their Photonic Health red lights. Within 24 hours of Charlie not being able to walk and having a severe lack of coordination, Donna and Bryan saw drastic improvements in him. Four days later, all of Charlie’s symptoms were gone.

Bryan giving Charlie a Photonic Health red light therapy treatment
Bryan giving Charlie a Photonic Health red light therapy treatment

Diagnosis of EEE takes time. Time you don’t have when the virus is replicating, causing symptoms of loss of coordination, high fever and brain swelling. Photonic Health Red Light Therapy provides a fast, non-invasive, safe intervention – even without confirmation of the diagnosis. By the time the tests have been run, many horses may suffer irreversible damage or have been put down. Photonic Health Red Light Therapy focuses on stopping the virus in its tracks.

This cannot come at a better time. We are seeing more cases of EEE as mosquito populations rise and migrate. Currently, there is no specific treatment for EEE. Antibiotics are not effective against viruses, and no effective anti-viral drugs have been discovered. Severe illnesses are treated by supportive therapy which may include hospitalization, respiratory support, IV fluids and prevention of other infections.

You don’t have to stand there and watch your horse go downhill. Photonic Health Red Light Therapy (RLT) has two main mechanisms of action–it fights viral infection and boosts the immune system. The mosquito bite can’t be undone, but the rate at which the virus replicates can be affected by red light therapy. Photonic Health red light therapy limits the spread of the virus from cell to cell. The immune system plays a significant role in keeping these viruses at bay. A lot of the research on RLT has to do with the induction of oxidative stress on the cells to trigger an immune response to prevent healthy cells from viral infection.

Symptoms of EEE and West Nile in horses:

  • Abnormal gait
  • Aimless wandering
  • Circling
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Drooping ears
  • Drowsiness
  • Head pressing
  • Hyperactivity
  • Inability to swallow
  • Paralysis
  • Restlessness
  • Sensitivity to sound
Donna with a healthy, happy Charlie
Donna with a healthy, happy Charlie

Donna and Bryan’s experience with Photonic Health Red Light Therapy (RLT) has allowed them to not only help Charlie, but to also help save many other horses using Photonic Health red light therapy. Unfortunately, mosquito borne illnesses are hard to prevent and can also affect dogs and cats. TThere is no better time to see the light and get familiar with Photonic Health Red Light Therapy!

To relieve symptoms of EEE and other mosquito borne illnesses using Photonic Health red light therapy, we recommend Anti-viral points, which can be found in The Pain-Free Horse and the Pain-Free Dog book.