Horses that have been vaccinated in past years will need an annual booster shot. | Photo: Kevin Thompson/The Horse

The Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) is urging owners throughout the state to vaccinate horses against West Nile virus (WNV).

“Vaccination is the best protection horse owners have for their animals,” said JJ Goicoechea, DVM, the NDA’s state veterinarian. “Vaccinations, in conjunction with practices that reduce exposure to mosquitoes, are very effective in protecting horses from WNV.”

Every year, the NDA monitors WNV and other diseases carried by mosquitoes (also known as arboviral) very closely for the protection of public health and safety and the agriculture industry