Tennessee Horse Confirmed With WNV

The affected horse was unvaccinated for WNV and was euthanized.
Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

Tennessee Horse Confirmed With WNV
WNV transmission occurs when infected mosquitoes feed on animals, as well as humans, after having fed on infected birds. | Photo: iStock

​On Nov. 23 officials at the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) confirmed an unvaccinated 22-year-old Tennessee Walking Horse gelding at a Davidson County farm with West Nile virus (WNV). The gelding began experiencing clinical signs of WNV, which consisted of ataxia (incoordination) and recumbency (down and unable to rise), on Nov. 16. He was euthanized.

About West Nile Virus

WNV transmission occurs when infected mosquitoes feed on animals, as well as humans, after having fed on infected birds.

Health Alert: West Nile Virus in Horses
VIDEO | Health Alert: West Nile Virus in Horses

Clinical signs of WNV in horses include:

  • Mild anorexia and depression
  • Fine and coarse muscle and skin fasciculation;
  • Hyperesthesia (hypersensitivity to touch and sound);
  • Changes in mentation (mentality), when horses look like they’re daydreaming or “just not with it”;
  • Occasional drowsiness;
  • Propulsive walking (driving or pushing forward, often without control);
  • Spinal signs, including asymmetrical weakness; and
  • Asymmetrical or symmetrical ataxia.

West Nile virus has no cure; however, some horses can recover with supportive care. Equine mortality rates can reach 30-40%. The American Association of Equine Practitioners includes WNV as one of the core diseases all horses should be vaccinated against at least annually.

Share

Written by:

Related Articles

Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with

FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com

Sponsored Content

Weekly Poll

sponsored by:

Where do you primarily feed your horse?
288 votes · 288 answers

Readers’ Most Popular

Sign In

Don’t have an account? Register for a FREE account here.

Need to update your account?

You need to be logged in to fill out this form

Create a free account with TheHorse.com!