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Published Date: 2012-08-07 15:08:04
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> West Nile virus - USA (02): (CA) equine, 4th case conf.
Archive Number: 20120807.1232622

WEST NILE VIRUS - USA (02): (CALIFORNIA) EQUINE, 4TH CASE CONFIRMED
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[1]
Date: Fri 3 Aug 2012
Source: California Department of Food & Agriculture [edited]
http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/Animal_Health/wnv_info.html

On 3 Aug 2012, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Animal Health Branch confirmed one additional case of West Nile Virus (WNV) in a 3-year-old unvaccinated filly in Fresno county. The filly is recovering.

For 2012, a total of 4 horses have been confirmed positive for WNV. The positive horses are located in Fresno, Glenn, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus counties. One of the positive horses has been euthanized.

CDFA continually monitors and investigates equine neurologic cases for the presence of WNV in California. CDFA urges horse owners to consult their veterinarian concerning a WNV vaccination program to ensure maximum protection of their horses.

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[2]
Date: Mon 6 Aug 2012
Source: The Horse [edited]
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=20446

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) confirmed one additional case of equine West Nile virus (WNV) on Friday (3 Aug 2012]), according to a statement on the organization's website.

"On 3 Aug 2012, the CDFA Animal Health Branch confirmed one additional case of West Nile virus in a 3-year-old unvaccinated filly in Fresno County," the statement read. "The filly is recovering."

The Fresno County filly is the 4th California horse to test positive for WNV in 2012. The 3 other positive cases were identified in Glenn, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus counties. Only one of the 4 horses has been euthanized to date.

In a blog post published 31 Jul 2012, California State Veterinarian Annette Whiteford, DVM, said, "Each year, we find ourselves using this sad occasion to remind horse owners to have their animals vaccinated. It offers them maximum protection against the disease. And once vaccinations occur, horse owners should be checking regularly with their veterinarians to make sure they stay current."

Clinical signs for WNV include flu-like signs, where the horse seems mildly anorexic and depressed; fine and coarse muscle and skin fasciculations (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 on one or both sides, respectively). Equine mortality rate can be as high as 30-40 percent.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service reported 83 cases of WNV in US horses in 2011, with 15 of those cases being identified in California horses.

[Byline: Erica Larson]

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[One can only repeat Annette Whiteford's sound advice for horse owners to make sue that their horses are vaccinated, preferably before the summer West Nile season. - Mod.MHJ]

[The state of California can be located on the HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map at http://healthmap.org/r/1r3f. A California county map can be seen at http://www.digital-topo-maps.com/county-map/california.shtml. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]

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