Veterinarians Urge Vaccination against West Nile Virus

It’s not too late to ensure your horse is properly vaccinated against the potentially deadly West Nile virus.
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As of Aug. 21, more than 110 cases of equine West Nile virus (WNV) have been reported this year in the United States, according to the United States Geological Survey. The majority of these affected horses were either not vaccinated against the disease, or not up-to-date on their WNV vaccination.

Since the mosquito season is far from over in some areas of the country, some horse owners might be wondering if a vaccine booster might benefit their animals, or if it’s too late to inoculate a currently unvaccinated horse. To get the answers to these questions, TheHorse.com caught up with Rocky Mason, DVM, an ambulatory equine practitioner from Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Ky.

"Given the recent rise of clinical cases associated with the West Nile virus, I would recommend to owners of unvaccinated horses to consider vaccinating their horses now with a current West Nile vaccine product," Mason said. "That initial shot needs to be boostered in three to six weeks depending on which commercial product was used. Following that initial two shot series, horses should be vaccinated annually.

"It takes roughly 10 to 14 days for a horse to mount and generate protective antibodies," he continued. "If the horse is previously unvaccinated it may take two weeks past the second shot to mount protection so the recommendation is to get started now

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Erica Larson, former news editor for The Horse, holds a degree in journalism with an external specialty in equine science from Michigan State University in East Lansing. A Massachusetts native, she grew up in the saddle and has dabbled in a variety of disciplines including foxhunting, saddle seat, and mounted games. Currently, Erica competes in eventing with her OTTB, Dorado.

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