An alpaca on Fulsom Farm was confirmed to have had Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services last week.
Peter Buckingham, who owns the alpaca, said the four-month-old alpaca cria began having seizures last Sunday. That's when Peter brought him to Tim Fallon DVM of Cornerstone Veterinary Hospital in Epping.
Dr. Fallon was able to stabilize the seizures for a brief time, but Peter said they continued on Monday and so he reluctantly decided to have the animal put down.
EEE is a virus that, if diagnosed in humans, is fatal 32 percent of the time and, if not fatal, half of the surviving cases result in long-term neurological damage with the possibility of seizures and a decrease in day-to-day functioning like walking, talking, and speaking, according to New Hampshire State Public Health Veterinarian Jason Stull.
Animals should be vaccinated where appropriate and veterinary approved repellents should be used to prevent mosquito bites, says Nicholas Toumpas, the acting commissioner of the state Department of Health and Human Services. Humans should also use insect repellent, he says.

There has been some work done on an EEE vaccine in alpacas and the results of using the vaccine can be found at the North East Alpaca Owners Association and the vaccine itself can be purchased from American Livestock as with alll alpaca medications this is off label and should only be used after consultation with your veterinarian.