This Texas Tech equine expert explains how to protect your horse from the West Nile Virus.
We all love rain, especially here in the Texas Panhandle. However, we all know that with rain brings pesty mosquitos and with mosquitos brings the West Nile Virus.
“West Nile Virus is a viral disease caused by a Flavivirus,” said Luis Morales, assistant professor of general veterinary practice at Texas Tech University's School of Veterinary Medicine. “The disease is carried and transmitted by a wide variety of mosquitos. It is also seasonal so usually during the summertime when we see lots of mosquitos. This is a virus that is potentially fatal and can cause fever and neurologic diseases. It can infect horses, humans, and many species of birds as well as any age, breed, or sex.”
So, what does this mean for horses? Well, for older horses, there is an increased risk of severe neurotropic infection which means the virus tends to attack their nervous system. Through a series of questions, Morales explains the impact of West Nile Virus and how to prevent your horse from contracting it.
What should I do if my horse gets West Nile?
First, call your veterinarian and communicate what symptoms you see in your horse. You can also check for the latest vaccine records you have available to make sure your horse is up to date on their vaccines such as the West Nile Virus vaccine.
A good sign to know whether or not West Nile is prevalent on your property is to see if you notice any dead wild birds like crows, jays, magpies, and ravens. You can also identify and remove areas of standing water where mosquitos may be hatching.
How do you prevent West Nile in horses?
The best way to prevent this virus from infecting your horse is to keep your horse's vaccines up to date. Normally, your veterinarian will give your horse vaccines in the spring to give the body enough time to develop a strong immune response for the summertime when the mosquito season arises.
Another way you can help prevent West Nile is to monitor for areas with standing water, use fans in stalls or use equine-approved mosquito repellant. You can also discuss with your veterinarian about possible boost if you have a heavy mosquito infestation.
Is West Nile contagious between horses?
No. West Nile Virus is not contagious between horses because horses are “dead-end hosts” meaning that they can get the virus, but they cannot spread it to other horses or humans. However, infected mosquitoes and wildlife birds can continue to spread the disease.
How can a horse get West Nile and what are the chances of my horse contracting the virus?
Horses will get West Nile Virus by an infected mosquito bite. If your horse has not been vaccinated against West Nile, then they are at high risk to develop more severe clinical signs. If you live in an area with higher incidence of mosquitoes, the chances are higher for your horse to get the virus.
Nevertheless, this does not mean they will automatically die from the virus. Clinical signs can vary by many factors such as age, previous health status and amount of exposure of the virus and whether your horse was vaccinated or not.
What are the symptoms of West Nile?
Symptoms or clinical signs can vary between horses. However, the most common are fever, impaired balance or coordination, hind end weakness, knuckling over, anorexia, muscle tremors, head pressing, acting colicky with excessive sweating, or behavior changes such as being depressed, hyperexcitation or severe obtundation. Some of the horses present symmetric or asymmetric weakness in hind limbs that can lead to falling and being unable to rise again. Another sign is some horses in the pasture may wander aimlessly or in circles.