Va. Horse Owners Urged to Vaccinate for EEE, WNV, Rabies

State officials are concerned that horse owners could be lulled into neglecting vaccination this year by the lack of disease activity last year.
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The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) is urging all horse owners to check with their veterinarians for West Nile virus (WNV), Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), and rabies vaccination recommendations for their animals. Virginia only had one confirmed case of WNV and one of EEE in 2013, although the number of horses affected in other states was much higher.

State officials are concerned that horse owners could be lulled into inaction by the lack of disease activity last year and neglect vaccination this year.

“Timely vaccination has been shown to decrease WNV and EEE disease incidence,” said Charles Broaddus, DVM, program manager for VDACS Office of Veterinary Services. “Without vaccination, we would expect to see many more infected horses, so we still urge horse owners to consider EEE and WNV vaccination. We believe that in most cases, private veterinarians will recommend them for their clients.”

Vaccines have been shown to drastically reduce the incidence of WNV and EEE in horses. They are effective for six to twelve months, so horses should be revaccinated at least annually. In areas where the disease occurs frequently, most veterinarians recommend vaccination every six months. For the vaccine to be effective it must be handled and administered properly and be given at least two weeks before the horse is exposed to the virus. Additionally, to stimulate full immunity, horses must be vaccinated twice, about 30 days apart, the first year they are vaccinated. Other prevention methods include destroying standing water breeding sites for mosquitoes, using insect repellents, and removing animals from mosquito-infested areas during peak biting times, usually dusk to dawn

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