Take Steps Now to Prevent West Nile Virus in Horses

It’s important that horse owners consult their vets about WNV prevention options before mosquito season.
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Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary George Greig has urged horse owners to consult their veterinarians about options for West Nile virus (WNV) prevention before mosquito season begins.

"From recreational trail riders and trained competitors to top-notch breeding and racing, Pennsylvania’s equine industry represents an important segment of our state’s leading economic driver – agriculture," said Greig. "Animal health is a top industry priority, and I encourage horse owners to speak to their veterinarians about protecting their animals against encephalitic diseases like West Nile Virus."

Equine encephalitic diseases are transmitted by mosquitoes and cause inflammation of the brain. Mosquitoes become more active with warm weather in early spring.

First confirmed in the United States’ horse population in 1999, WNV infection is responsible for equine clinical signs including flulike signs, where the horse seems mildly anorexic and depressed; fine and coarse muscle and skin fasciculations (twitching); hyperesthesia, or 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 (incoordination on one or both sides, respectively). Equine mortality rate can be as high as 30-40%. The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service reported 83 cases of WNV in U.S. horses in 2011

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