RALEIGH, (SGRToday.com) - An 8-year-old quatrter horse has died in the first confirmed case of Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis (EEE) in 2015 in North Carolina.

The case is in Cumberland County.

State Agriculture Department officials say EEE is  endemic in our state. That means it is common.

“If your horses exhibit any symptoms of EEE, contact your veterinarian immediately,” said State Veterinarian Doug Meckes in a news release. “Several serious contagious diseases, such as West Nile virus, equine herpes virus and rabies, have similar symptoms and should be ruled out.”

There were 12 cases of EEE in North Carolina last year.