September 12, 2017
By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph –
Besides human beings, horses need to be vaccinated against West Nile Virus and now is the time.
Animal Industry Services of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry is encouraging horse owners to take precaution and vaccinate their animals to protect against – not only the West Nile Virus (WNV) – but also against Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE).
The Assistant State Veterinarian, Dr. Michael Herrin says that in years past, Oklahoma averaged approximately 40 cases per year of positive diagnoses of mosquito-carried diseases in horses and vaccinating against the disease is something that should be a part of a horse owners standard, annual procedure.
There were no reported human deaths in 2016; however, the state health department recently reported the first human West Nile death in 2017 occurring in Pottawatomie County in Central Oklahoma.
Herrin says no part of the state of Oklahoma is immune.
Within 10 to 14 days, the mosquito can transmit the virus to both humans and horses.
He says signs of West Nile Virus include weakness, fever – in coordination – seizures, blindness and difficulty getting up.
He says there are several vaccines available, and we are encouraging horse owners to visit their veterinarians and determine the vaccination protocol that will best fit their operations.
He says its simple to take care of the vaccination locally.
Oklahomans can reduce the risk of both EEE and WNV by eliminating standing water which serves as a breeding area for mosquitoes and flush and empty water troughs twice a week.
When possible, owners should reduce horses’ outdoor exposure at dawn and dusk, the times of day when mosquitoes carrying the viruses are most active.
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