DESPITE no reported cases in Victoria since last summer, Victoria’s chief veterinary officer, Dr Graeme Cooke, has reminded horse owners and pig farmers to protect animals from mosquitoes, after recent, unseasonal heavy rain and flooding.

He said bite prevention and mosquito control were key to keeping animals free from mosquito-borne diseases including Japanese encephalitis (JE), Ross River fever, Murray Valley encephalitis and West Nile virus (Kunjin strain).