A 20-year-old Arabian mare in Nelson County, Ky., has been euthanized following a battle with the mosquito-borne neurologic disease West Nile virus (WNV). Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) officials announced confirmation of WNV in the horse on July 2, which marked the detection of the state’s first equine case in 2004.


Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer said, “We are not surprised that West Nile is back. We are encouraged that the first equine case came so late in the year. Last year’s first equine case was in May.


“We also are encouraged that the number of cases in Kentucky last year was 80% lower than the number of cases in 2002,” Farmer added. “This tells us that equine owners are acting to protect their animals and eliminate breeding grounds for mosquitoes, which spread the virus. But we can’t let down our guard.”


Kentucky’s first avian (bird) WNV confirmation for 2004 was in May. No WNV-infected humans or mosquito pools have been found this year. In 2003, 102 Kentucky equids were diagnosed with WNV; 35 of those died. In 2002, 513 horses were WNV-infected, of which 131 died

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