2009 PRESS RELEASES
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September 23, 2009
THIRD HORSE IN 2009 TESTS POSITIVE FOR WEST NILE VIRUS
Contact: Elaine J. Lidholm, 804.786.7686
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) today announced the third positive case of West Nile Virus (WNV) in a horse in 2009. The horse, a 20-year-old Quarter Horse, is from New Kent County. Onset of symptoms was September 12 and because of their severity, the owner elected for euthanasia. VDACS received a sample for testing at its Regional Animal Health Laboratory in Warrenton on September 15.
The horse had not been vaccinated for West Nile. The first WNV horse in 2009 was from Pittsylvania County and the second case was in Augusta County. Currently, no drugs exist to kill WNV in horses or humans, but there are effective vaccines. Treatment for an infected horse consists of supportive therapy to prevent the animal from injuring itself throughout the two to three weeks of the disease. A veterinarian can prescribe treatment tailored to the particular case.
Dr. Joe Garvin, head of VDACS’ Office of Laboratory Services, noted that this year’s cases of WNV have come from southside, central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley, a wide geographic area. He encourages horse owners statewide to check with their veterinarians about vaccinating their animals for WNV. The vaccine initially requires two doses administered three to six weeks apart and takes four to six weeks from the second dose for optimal effectiveness. Because WNV is a mosquito-borne disease, prevention methods besides vaccination include destroying standing water breeding sites for mosquitoes, use of insect repellents such as DEET and removing animals from mosquito-infested areas during peak biting times, usually dusk to dawn.
WNV can cause a horse to go down and be unable to get up without help. Animal owners should consult their veterinarians if an animal exhibits any neurological symptoms such as a stumbling gait, facial paralysis, drooping or disinterest in the surroundings. Currently, there are live-animal tests for WNV in horses and chickens, but none for other animals, although testing can be done on any dead animal. Animal owners should consult their veterinarians or the nearest VDACS Regional Animal Health Laboratory for advice or information should an animal exhibit symptoms of WNV.
The following Web sites provide more information on WNV and how to protect humans and horses:
Horses - http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/animals/wnv.html and http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/nahss/equine/wnv/
Humans - http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/epidemiology/DEE/Vectorborne/factsheets/westnilevirus.htm. News releases on the two previous cases of WNV are at http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/news/releases-b.shtml.