The Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) has reported that Minnesota has confirmed its second equine West Nile virus (WNV) case of the year.

The EDCC said the Minnesota Board of Animal Health reported that the draft-cross stallion, residing in Mille Lacs County, is alive, but showing neurologic signs of disease. His vaccination status is unknown.

West Nile Virus is regularly found in the United States, and birds serve as the primary host of the disease. Infected mosquitoes can transmit the virus from birds and then carry it to horses or people. Clinical signs for WNV include flulike signs, where the horse seems mildly anorexic and depressed; fine and coarse muscle and skin fasciculations (twitching); hyperesthesia (hypersensitivity to touch and sound); changes in mentation (mentality), when horses look like they are daydreaming or "just not with it"; occasional somnolence (drowsiness); propulsive walking (driving or pushing forward, often without control); and "spinal" signs, including asymmetrical weakness. Some horses show asymmetrical or symmetrical ataxia. Equine mortality rate can be as high as 30-40%.

The clinical signs of WNV can be consistent with other important neurologic diseases such as equine encephalitis, rabies, and equine herpesvirus; therefore it is important to work with your veterinarian to get an accurate diagnosis through laboratory testing