An unvaccinated crossbred Belgian/Standardbred horse in southwestern Wisconsin has become the state's first equine animal to test positive for West Nile Virus in 2021. According to state animal health officials, the Crawford County gelding died as a result of the disease. It was the first such case in Wisconsin since 2018.
Horse owners are encouraged to talk with their veterinarians about vaccinating their animals for WNV. The American Association of Equine Practitioners recommends vaccinating for both WNV and Eastern Equine Encephalitis as part of the core vaccine protocol, meaning all horses should be vaccinated for these diseases. Each are mosquito-borne diseases that together have stricken hundreds of horses in Wisconsin in the past decade.
Horses that have never been vaccinated initially require two doses two to four weeks apart, followed by at least an annual booster.
Both WNV and EEE are caused by viruses transmitted by mosquitoes, and both may cause encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain. EEE kills about 90 percent of horses that it strikes, and WNV kills in more than a third of all equine cases.
Categories: Wisconsin, Rural Lifestyle