West Nile Vaccination Important For Horses

Although there have only been two reported cases of West Nile Virus confirmed in horses across our region — one in Colorado and one in Washington — infected mosquitoes have been found in all four states. Colorado State Veterinarian Dr. Keith Roehr says it is important to have your horses vaccinated against West Nile Virus. Dr. Roehr urges horse owners to contact their veterinarian if their horse shows any of those signs.
Roehr: “Be anywhere from minor behavioral changes to ataxia to kind of a wobbly gait to difficulty in walking or standing or even paralysis where they can't stand at all. All of these clinical signs would be important to note.”
He continues with a common question he gets about West Nile Virus in horses.
Roehr: “Does West Nile pose any risk for horses going to fairs, shows and events? And the answer rot that is no, not really . It is good to vaccinate horses, but a horse if affected is what we call a dead end host. There is not sufficient virus in the bloodstream of the horse to be a potential of infection to other horses. By all means use the prevention tools of vaccination and then mosquito or insect control, but traveling of horses this time of year is not really of any increased risk.”