Horse owners should watch for signs of West Nile virus
By Ann Bailey
Agweek Staff Writer

Horse owners should be on the alert for the West Nile virus, veterinarians say. The virus, carried by mosquitoes, can be fatal, they say.

The virus has not yet been found in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana or Minnesota but last year was detected as far west as Wisconsin and Iowa. Before that, the virus had been found only on the East Coast, so it spread rapidly westward in 2001, says Dr. Larry Schuler, North Dakota state veterinarian.
"It was quite a dramatic jump from the previous year", he says. At the end of 2001, 27 states and the District of Columbia had reported cases of West Nile virus, according to South Dakota State University in Brookings.

The large populations of mosquitoes that are breeding in flooded areas especially is a cause for concern because the more mosquitoes, the greater the odds of one being infected with West Nile virus, Schuler says.

Members of the corvidae family of birds, which includes crows, jays and magpies, are susceptible to the virus. If farmers or horse owners see any of those dead birds laying around, they should be on the lookout for the virus, Schuler says.

Symptoms of the disease are stumbling, tripping, muscle weakness, impaired vision or head tilt, according to SDSU. Horse owners immediately should contact their veterinarians if they observe any of the symptoms which are similar to those of rabies or equine encephalitis.

A vaccine is available to prevent the virus and Schuler, along with state veterinarians in South Dakota and Montana have recommended that horse owners vaccinate their animals. In Minnesota, the Board of Animal Health has not made an official recommendation for vaccinating against the virus, but encourages horses owners to discuss with their veterinarians whether they should vaccinate, says Dr. Kris Petrini, assistant director of the board.

The vaccination is conditionally licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture so it only is available from veterinarians. The vaccine requires two vaccinations, a few weeks apart. Peak mosquito season hasn't hit yet, so horse owners still have time to vaccinate, the state veterinarians say.

Check out these great sites on horses:

Southern Louisiana Saddle Club

Bay Area Equestrian Network

The Bay Area Equestrian Network (BAEN) is a regional directory that helps you find horses, services and products in your area. This service is provided free of charge for California-based equine businesses, organizations and individuals.

Barrel Horse News

For the latest news on barrel horse racing!

Equestrian resources - directory of Equestrian related websites.

Ask My Father

Askmyfather.net aims to provide interesting information about various types of horse saddles like western saddles, racing saddles and many more. This is the website owned and operated by some expert and experienced people.

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