Horses

Horses

From Page A3

in wild bird hosts and becoming a problem only when there is enough circulating virus and enough mosquitoes present to transmit that virus from the wild bird reservoir into horses or people. This pattern is related to rainfall and temperature, which are favorable for the production of mosquitoes throughout most of Virginia. Typical symptoms of encephalitis include staggering, circling, depression, loss of appetite and sometimes fever and blindness.

There is no cure for these diseases, which can kill anywhere from 30% (WNV) to 90% (EEE) of the horses infected. Humans cannot become infected by handling an infected horse, nor can a horse acquire the virus from another infected horse; however, the presence of an infected horse in the area indicates that mosquitoes carrying EEE or WNV are present and pose a threat to both humans and horses.

Vaccines are available to drastically reduce the incidence of these diseases in horses. The vaccines are effective for 6 -12 months, so horses must be re-vaccinated at least annually and, in an area where the disease occurs frequently, such as sout Ueast and Tidewater Virginia, vaccination every six months is recommended. For the vaccine to be effective it must be handled and administered properly and be given at least 2 weeks before the horse is exposed to the virus. Other prevention methods include destroying standing water breeding sites for mosquitoes, using insect repellents such as DEET, and removing animals from mosquito-infested areas during peak biting times, usually dusk to dawn.

For more information, con-, tact the Office of the State Veterinarian, Division of Animal Industry Services, VDACS, at 804/786-2481. Horse owners should contact their Veterinarians for further advice on prevention.

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