The first case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis has been reported in a horse in Menominee County. Public Health Delta and Menominee County reports the animal became ill October 3rd and died from the disease Thursday. EEE cannot be spread between animals or from animals to humans, but because conditions are favorable for EEE-carrying mosquitoes during the fall, people should take precautions against mosquito bites. While the illness rarely causes symptoms in humans, it can present with fever, weakness, and muscle or joint pain, and in severe cases cause swelling of the brain and surrounding tissue. Pet and livestock owners are encouraged to protect their animals by placing them under barn fans during beak mosquito activity from dusk to dawn, using an insect repellant approved for animal use, eliminating standing water on their property, and contacting their vet if an animal shows signs of the illness including fever and stumbling. So far this year, 35 confirmed cases of EEE in horses in 16 Michigan counties have been reported.