Another case of the deadly West Nile virus has occurred. It ended fatally for the 4-year-old gelding.
In California, a 4-year-old unvaccinated Quarter Horse gelding became infected with the dangerous West Nile virus. The gelding became conspicuous by acute ataxia of the pelvic limbs (incoordination). This led to the horse being unable to stand up. In addition, the fever continued to rise. Finally, the gelding had to be euthanised due to his symptoms. The facility where he was kept is now under quarantine. This is the second case in California in 2022.
West Nile Virus Info
West Nile virus is transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitoes. Not all horses show clinical signs. If they do, they often show this:
- Flu-like signs where the horse appears slightly anorexic and depressed;
- Fine and coarse muscle and skin fasciculation (involuntary twitching);
- Hyperaesthesia (hypersensitivity to touch and sound);
- Changes in mentation (mental activity) when horses look like they are daydreaming or “just not with it”;
- Occasional drowsiness;
Drifting gait (driving or pushing forward, often without control); - Spinal signs, including asymmetric weakness;
- Asymmetrical or symmetrical ataxia.
Vaccinate
There is no cure for West Nile virus. However, horses can recover from the disease with proper care. The equine mortality rate is between 30%-40%.
A good way to escape the virus is to vaccinate. Horses need a booster once a year after they have been given a basic vaccination. During the basic vaccination, the horses are vaccinated twice at intervals of three to six weeks. After that, it takes a few more weeks for the horse to develop full protection against the disease.
In areas with a large number of mosquitoes, veterinarians also vaccinate twice a year.
In addition to vaccinations, owners should work to reduce the mosquito population and breeding areas by:
- Removing stagnant water sources;
- Regularly disposing of, cleaning and refilling water buckets and troughs;
- Keeping animals during insect feeding times (typically early morning and evening);
- Application of mosquito repellents approved for use on horses.
Source: the Horse
