Probably the best-attended session at the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Convention, the Kester News Hour features brief reports of new research that was too new or brief for inclusion in the scientific program. The information is presented in a fun, rapid-fire format by two of the country’s top equine veterinary specialists–internal medicine guru John Madigan, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, professor of medicine and epidemiology and section chief of equine medicine at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of the University of California, Davis; and orthopedic surgery specialist Larry Bramlage, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, a partner in Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., and the immediate past president of the AAEP. Following are brief reports of the research they found important for this popular session. Visit www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?id=5574 to view part one of Kester that includes Bramlage’s comments. Below are Madigan’s portions of the session.

West Nile Virus
Madigan offered a retrospective look at West Nile virus (WNV). He said that scientists had expected WNV to affect horses in California in 2002, but the virus didn’t actually hit until 2003. At least 496 equine cases were recorded as of October 8, 2004 (540 was the final count for 2004). Madigan said that many of the 210 horses that died or were euthanatized by Oct. 8 were unvaccinated animals–nine of the dead horses had been completely vaccinated. (The final California data showed 210 dead or euthanatized horses due to WNV, but data wasn’t available on the vaccination status of the cases from Oct. 8-Dec.)  There was nearly a 50% mortality rate in all infected horses (higher than many areas of the country). He says this might be because of the aggressive mosquito species Culex tarsalis (a WNV vector) that is indigenous to California and because those who chose not to vaccinate might not pursue veterinary therapy for WNV infection, either