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if you have not vaccinated for West Nile Virus

2K views 10 replies 9 participants last post by  Joe4d 
#1 ·
If you have not vaccinated for the West Nile Virus, please do so.......

The Horse | Equine West Nile Virus Activity Ripe in 2012

So far in 2012, according to the United States Geological Survey's Disease Maps, 77 cases of equine WNV have been reported in the following states, as of Aug. 14: Arizona, California, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming.
Louisiana--which did not report any equine WNV cases last year--has confirmed the most cases so far this year with 21, according to statistics from the Louisiana Department of Health & Hospitals.
Clinical signs for WNV include flulike signs, where the horse seems mildly anorexic and depressed; fine and coarse muscle and skin fasciculation (twitching); hyperesthesia (hypersensitivity to touch and sound); changes in mentation (mentality), when horses look like they are daydreaming or "just not with it"; occasional somnolence (drowsiness); propulsive walking (driving or pushing forward, often without control); and "spinal" signs, including asymmetrical weakness. Some horses show asymmetrical or symmetrical ataxia. Equine mortality rate can be as high as 30-40%.
 
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#3 ·
That is very scary. I'm actually surprised that it's as bad this year with it being so dry everywhere. We don't even have mosquitoes in my area as there is absolutely zero water for them to breed in.

Didn't stop me from giving shots though.
we don't have a mosquito problem where we are either but I figure a couple of $23 vaccines sure beats a vet bill for a sick horse!
 
#4 ·
Phew.... My state is not on a list. Although I vaccinate every year. The place my qh came from (in PA) had a horse that died because of the WN.
 
#5 ·
North Texas and southern OK are the worst.

It is really strange --- There have been more human cases than horse cases this outbreak. Evidently, since the initial horrible outbreak when West Nile first hit, most healthy horses have some acquired immunity. We also are not seeing the number of dead birds we saw in that first outbreak. That year, thousands of dead Starlings and Crows were everywhere. [One way to get rid of them.]

They are blaming the extremely mild winter last year, but I think it is just part of a cycle.
 
#6 ·
Cherie, I think mild winter is part of a reason. We never had mosquitoes here (at least not noticeable), but there are quite a bit this year. Also lots of ants (we usually have lots of them, but it really something this year!).
 
#8 ·
So scary!! My state is on the list.
I don't know exactly when my horses were last vaccinated... I don't do it myself since I'm 'too young' but my dad says he's sure they've been vaccinated this year.. Most likely this spring..
Should I have them vaccinated again? Or at least a booster. I'm thinking yes... :-|
Stuff with that kind of mortality rate isn't anything to mess around with :shock:
 
#9 ·
There have been a couple confirmed cases in humans of West Nile in Massachusetts, as well as I think one or two in horses this year. There has also been EEE in one horse. It all makes me worry :/ even though my horses have been vaccinated and are getting booster that the vet recommends.
 
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