West Nile Virus is transmitted by mosquitoes who have bitten infected birds. The mosquitoes in turn bite other mammals including horses. Infected horses do not infect other horses or animals because horses like humans are considered the end host. Birds are the main carriers that mosquitoes pick up the fresh virus from and then transfer to other animals.
The West Nile Virus causes encephalitis or inflammation of the brain. A horse that has contracted the virus might show signs of a fever, overall weakness, confusion, stumbling, lack of coordination, irritability, jumpiness, muscle twitching, and occasionally partial paralysis. Some horses show no signs of the virus, which can make detection difficult. In addition, fever by itself is not always a good sign.
Horses are highly susceptible to the problems the virus causes. Once a horse is infected, there is no treatment other than support for its symptoms. Sometimes, the horse may die from the virus. However, if it survives, most horses make a full recovery.
The best course to take in keeping your horse safe is to try to prevent the virus from spreading to your horse first. There are several precautions you can take to try to keep an infection from happening.
The first and most important step to do is correctly vaccinate your horse. You must get the correct vaccine for the West Nile Virus in your area. Vaccines for other types of equine encephalitis will not work for West Nile Virus prevention. Your horse must be vaccinated with the right vaccine at the correct time of the year for your area. There is a timing issue involved. To get the right vaccine at the right time, talk to your local equine veterinarian.
The next step is to remove standing water where mosquitoes breed. In most conditions, they can hatch within 14 days in any stagnant water. Drain or dump any container or open depression that holds water such as buckets, cans, ponds, or mud puddles. Slope landscape to cancel pools of standing water. It is important to clean pooling water off or out of plastic toys, old tires, and tarp covers.
Keep horses in enclosed stalls at night. Use screening to keep the mosquito numbers at bay but be sure to make sure they are removed from the inside the stall first before putting up screens. In addition, using a fan inside the horse stall is a good idea too. Mosquitoes avoid windy areas where the wind moves as fast as or faster than their flying speed. They cannot fly to find the horse. Fans also interfere with a mosquitoes' ability to find the carbon dioxide and lactic acid trail horses and other animals give off. When this happens, they cannot smell their food source.
Control the use of lighting around the horse stalls. Mosquitoes are drawn to light at night and especially yellow lights. Use a device like the Stinger MK100 Mosquito Zapper or the Mosquito Magnet Patriot. These special bug zappers are especially designed to attract and kill mosquitoes. By putting one of these outside and away from the horse stall you can cut the mosquito number down significantly. Use it with a yellow light nearby and that will increase the kill number.
Use a bug repellent like Mosquito Halt Repellent Spray for Horses. Just as DEET works for humans, this spray keeps mosquitoes as well as other biting insects off your horse. It can give you another level of security against the West Nile Virus carrying mosquitoes that you will not get without using it. Since mosquitoes are most active at night or at dusk, it is recommended to use this spray at those times.
The last step you can take to keep your horse safer during mosquito season is to remove bird perches on your property and watch for signs of dead birds. There are certain birds that carry and transfer the virus to mosquitoes more than others transfer it. By eliminating places where they can congregate you can keep a watchful eye on mosquito numbers. Horse stalls should be free of birds that could be infected or that might get infected during the mosquito season. Take suspicious dead birds to a nearby veterinarian and have them tested for the virus. Your local veterinarian should be able to tell you which birds in your specific region to watch out for. Both crows and the American Robin are two that have been strongly linked to West Nile Virus.
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