Grimes, Co., Texas Horse Tests Positive for WNV

The U.S. Geological Survey WNV disease map indicates this is the first equine WNV case reported this year.
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One horse in Grimes County, Texas, has tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV), according to the Texas Department of State Health Services WNV surveillance program. As indicated on the U.S. Geological Survey WNV disease map, last updated June 18 at 3 a.m., the Grimes County case is the first equine WNV case reported in the United States this year.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reported 627 equine WNV cases nationwide in 2012, the highest total since 2006, when veterinarians reported 1,086 equine cases. Texas reported the most cases last year (120), followed by Louisiana (62), Pennsylvania (47), and Oklahoma (42). Indiana, Mississippi, and Iowa each confirmed 30 or more equine WNV cases in 2012, according to APHIS. Only nine states—Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia—remained equine WNV-free in 2012.

Clinical signs for WNV include flulike signs, where the horse seems mildly anorexic and depressed; fine and coarse muscle and skin fasciculation (twitching); hyperesthesia (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). Equine mortality rate can be as high as 30-40%.

Study results have shown that the WNV vaccine has a substantial effect on preventing disease. The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) recommends vaccinating all foals and horses against WNV. For horses residing in the northern United States veterinarians recommend vaccinating in the spring prior to peak mosquito levels. In the south, where mosquito populations are present year-round, horses might be vaccinated more frequently. In addition to geography, age and exposure play an important role in deciding how often to vaccinate horses. The AAEP’s complete vaccination guidelines are available online

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Written by:

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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