The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) has reported that a 2-year-old Andalusian mixed-breed mare in Grandview is the first horse in Washington to contract West Nile virus (WNV) this year.
The horse was not vaccinated for the disease and is showing neurologic signs, including stumbling and difficulties eating.
The Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Pullman, operated by Washington State University, reported the positive test results to WSDA’s State Veterinarian’s Office July 22.
Washington had 36 confirmed cases of horses with WNV last year, leading the nation with nearly 17% of confirmed equine cases. And this year, mosquitoes testing positive for WNV have been trapped in Adams, Benton, Grant, Franklin, and Yakima counties. Last year, the USDA reported 225 equine cases involving WNV nationwide.
“It’s never too late to vaccinate your horse for West Nile virus,” said WSDA field veterinarian Thomas Gilliom, DVM. “We’ve had cooler days but when hot summer days return the risks of mosquito bites will increase.”
West Nile virus is spread by mosquitoes that have fed on infected birds. The disease sickens people, horses, birds, and other animals, but it does not spread directly from horses to people or other animals.
The disease is fatal to horses in about a third of the cases in which clinical signs are apparent, although some horses do not become ill and or show signs of disease. Horses that do become ill can appear to be displaying loss of coordination, loss of appetite, confusion, fever, stiffness, and muscle weakness, particularly in their hindquarters.
Source : TheHorse