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Editor's Note: For the latest equine West Nile virus news and infection maps, see www.TheHorse.com/wnv.
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WEST NILE VIRUS: AN EVOLVING EPIZOOTIC "West Nile virus (WNV) is coming to a state near you if it hasn't already arrived," said Eileen Ostlund, DVM, PhD, head of the equine and ovine viruses section at the Diagnostic Virology Laboratory, National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, during the Western Veterinary Conference held February 15-19 in Las Vegas, Nev. In a comprehensive overview of WNV's activity in the United States since its arrival in 1999, she discussed its transmission methods, hosts, U.S. history, clinical signs, diagnosis, vaccination options, impact on the U.S. horse population, duration of immunity, and supportive care.
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WEST NILE VIRUS Q&A In a question and answer session following her West Nile virus presentation during the Western Veterinary Conference (held Feb. 15-19 in Las Vegas, Nevada), Eileen Ostlund, DVM, PhD, head of the equine and ovine viruses section at the Diagnostic Virology Laboratory, National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, offered the following answers to the audience's questions.
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WNV: PREVENTION IS KEY "West Nile virus (WNV) is the number one diagnosed neurologic disease in horses, or close to it," said William Saville, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, of The Ohio State University, at a March 10 Fort Dodge Animal Health educational seminar for veterinarians held in Lexington, Ky. "Because of the decreased number of cases in 2003 compared to 2002, people are starting to think we've got WNV under control, but we haven't," he said. "We need to convince horse owners that prevention is the only way to go."
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WEST NILE VIRUS CASE DEFINITION "Probable," "presumptive," "suspected," and "confirmed." All of these words are used to describe equine cases tested for West Nile virus. The cases might be "confirmed" on a local, state, or national level. What do these descriptions mean, and why dont the totals reported by state and national agencies always match?
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WEST NILE BOOSTER: ONE SHOT OR TWO?
| Mosquito season is fast approaching. Will your horse need one West Nile virus booster this year -- or two?
In horses previously vaccinated with the original West Nile-Innovator from Fort Dodge Animal Health, a single booster of West Nile-Innovator this spring will protect for one year. If you're considering switching to a live canarypox vector vaccine, you'll need to start your horse's vaccination series all over again with two initial doses.
For more information about West Nile virus protection, contact your veterinarian, or visit www.equinewestnile.com. |
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KESTER 2003: WEST NILE VIRUS
John Madigan, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, professor of medicine and epidemiology and section chief for equine medicine at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of California, Davis, reviewed the spread of West Nile virus since 1999, when it first appeared in the Western Hemisphere, during the Kester News Hour presentation at the 2003 American Association of Equine Practitioners' Convention. There were 8,393 human cases logged in the United States by Nov. 21, 2003. Colorado alone had nearly 2,500 human cases. MORE...
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WEST NILE VIRUS ALERT! West Nile virus is a dangerous and scary disease, and it is spreading across North America very quickly. However, this is one of the few times when horses have it better than humans when it comes to facing disease. There is an effective equine vaccine against West Nile virus; there isn't one for humans--yet. But the management that you use to protect your horses is beneficial to you and your neighbors. And without proper property and mosquito management, no vaccine can be as effective.
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WNV RESEARCH
A study led by researchers at Colorado State University found that West Nile virus cost equine owners in Colorado and Nebraska more than $1.25 million in 2002, and prevention costs for WNV vaccination likely topped another $2.75 million for the equine industry in those states last year. In 2002, Colorado reported 378 confirmed cases of WNV in equids, and Nebraska reported 1,100. MORE...
More information:
West Nile Virus--Mosquito Not Required
Purdue Team Describes WNV Structure
Genetics and West Nile Virus
Colorado State West Nile Virus Study
2000 Equine West Nile Virus Study Online
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POLL: WEST NILE VIRUS VACCINATION
In July 2003 The Horse asked what your decisions have been regarding vaccination for West Nile virus in your horses this year.
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Poll Results:
Have you vaccinated your horse(s) against West Nile virus?
- Yes: 700 (86.21%)
- Some of them: 23 (2.83%)
- Planning to, but haven't yet: 23 (2.83%)
- No: 66 (8.13%)
Total Votes: 812
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MOSQUITO MANAGEMENT
Halt the Assault
In 2003, a total of 5,087 horses and more than 9,000 humans were infected with West Nile virus, according to the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Centers for Disease Control, and individual state statistics. The numbers are sobering. Yet WNV isn't the only threat posed by the common mosquito. All forms of arboviral encephalitis (arthropod-borne neurologic disease)--some of which, like WNV, can afflict both horses and humans--are mosquito-borne, as are malaria, dengue fever, and deadly canine heartworm disease. Mosquitoes can also cause severe allergic bite reactions in some people and animals. And, as everyone knows, they are annoying pests. MORE...
The Death Squad
Choosing a fly, mosquito, or tick formula for your horse or barn is a lot like selecting a hand lotion: You can pick from extra moisturizing, scented, hypoallergenic, etc., or packaged in tubes, jars, or bottles, but the bottom line is they are all still lotions. Ditto the equine insecticides. There are plenty of them out there, but the vast majority are pyrethrins and their synthetic derivatives, pyrethroids. Sure, there are some non-pyrethrin/pyrethroid formulas (herbals and a couple of other chemical varieties), but choices are pretty limited. MORE...
More information:
Safety Tips for Animal Owners During Mosquito Spraying
Mosquito Patrol
Mosquito Wars
Applying Insect Repellents
More on Pest Control
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WNV VACCINATION
Allegations that the West Nile virus vaccine might have caused abortions and deformed foals were made in a Denver Post article in 2003. Mare owners calling themselves the "Lost Foals Group" claimed the vaccine had caused up to 1,200 abortions and nearly 300 deformed or dummy foals. However, top veterinarians disputed those allegations based on their experiences. MORE...
More information:
West Nile Virus Vaccination in Mares and Foals
New West Nile Virus Equine Recombinant DNA Vaccine Approved
New Combination Vaccines Include WNV Protection
West Nile Virus Vaccine Receives Full Licensure
WNV Vaccine Challenge Study
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AAEP ASK THE VET: REACTION TO WNV VACCINE
My miniature horse injured her shoulder last February (it has healed). However, after her first West Nile virus vaccination over a year later, she became lame in that leg/shoulder again. Is this documented as a possible side effect to the vaccination? I am concerned about her receiving the second injection, which is due shortly. She is just now recovering from the first one.
A. Click here for the answer.
For more on vaccination reactions, look for an article in the May 2004 issue of The Horse.
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GREAT BOOKS AT GREAT PRICES SALE
Save up to 40% off the retail price on selected books such as Feeling Dressage,The Equid Ethogram, Smart Horse, and The Journey of the Western Horse.This sale ends soon, so don't miss your chance to take advantage of these great deals! Click here to start shopping.
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DIAGNOSIS/TREATMENT OF WEST NILE VIRUS
Veterinarians experienced in the surveillance, treatment, and public education of West Nile virus presented their research and observations of the disease at the annual meeting of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine held in Dallas, Texas, in 2002. It is important that veterinarians who do not yet have experience with WNV are prepared to handle cases. MORE...
More information:
Plasma Product Licensed for WNV Treatment
WNV Treatment Licensed
West Nile Virus Testing
Diagnosing West Nile Virus
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PRACTITIONERS' EXPERIENCES
West Nile Firsthand
The shrill ring of the phone announced a call from Tanja Hanyi, DVM, my partner in veterinary practice some years ago. "Hey! Guess what? I think I've got a West Nile case!" she said excitedly. MORE...
West Nile Virus From the Front Lines
In January, the presentation made by Bill Saville, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, on the virus was one of the most well-attended sessions at this the 2003 Alberta Horse Breeders and Owners Conference in Red Deer, Alta. "I don't want you to misconstrue this presentation as terror tactics. I'm just going to tell you the reality of what you're going to see," Saville told the audience of western Canadian horse owners. MORE...
The Ohio West Nile Virus Experience
When Bill Saville, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, was asked to form the Ohio West Nile Virus Working Group in late 1999, the disease was still a distant concern in New York City where health officials had identified the first North American case of the virus in a dead crow in August 1999. By December 2000, the health problem was literally on Ohios doorstep when the virus was detected across the state line in Erie County, Pa. MORE...
A Florida Practitioner's Perspective on WNV
Maureen Long, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, of the University of Florida (UF), spoke about West Nile virus protective strategies for horse owners and veterinarians at a March 2003 meeting in Lexington, Ky. Veterinarians and public officials gathered at the University of Kentucky's Gluck Equine Research Center for a workshop designed to educate local practitioners about the disease. MORE...
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