The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture last week released the results of a recently completed experiment conducted by the Departments of Veterinary Science (Karen McDowell, MS, PhD) and Entomology (Bruce Webb, MS, PhD, and Walter Barney) and the Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center (Neil Williams, DVM, PhD, and Mike Donahue, PhD). This is the fourth in a series of

Allegations that the West Nile virus vaccine might have caused abortions and deformed foals were made in a May 30 Denver Post article. Mare owners calling themselves the “Lost Foals Group” claim the vaccine has caused up to 1,200 abortions and nearly 300 deformed or dummy foals. However, top veterinarians dispute those allegations based on their experiences.

Tom Riddle,

The number of confirmed Eastern equine encephalitis cases (EEE) in horses has risen to 44 as of May 6 in north central Florida, according to Bill Jeter, DVM, diagnostic veterinary manager for Florida’s Division of Animal Industry. This confirmed earlier speculations that 2003 will have higher-than-normal numbers of EEE cases this year. The virus has been confirmed in 18 counties, and 24 of th

Uterine lavage can be performed immediately prior to artificial insemination in mares without adversely affecting fertility, according to a recent study completed at the University of Idaho (UI) in Moscow, Idaho. The uterine lavage process is used to clear the uterus of inflammatory fluids that could decrease the viability of semen in mares.

Researchers already knew that uterine lavage

Equine influenza has spread to nearly 20 premises–mostly Thoroughbred training stables–in the eastern, central, and southern parts of the United Kingdom. “The reason (it’s unusual) is because despite the fact that horses have been very well vaccinated and have very high antibody levels, they are still becoming infected,” according to James Wood, BSc, BVetMed, MSc, PhD, MRCVS, DLSHTM, Dipl.

“It’s very unusual to get EHV-1 outbreaks all at the same time on different premises,” said James Wood, BSc, BVetMed, MSc, PhD, MRCVS, DLSHTM, Dipl. ECVPH, head of epidemiology at the Animal Health Trust (AHT) in the United Kingdom, about the recent flare-up of neurologic equine herpesvirus-1 cases in his country. At least 12 U.K. horses have been euthanized after infection with the

The landscape of equine reproduction research dramatically changed yesterday (May 29) when a University of Idaho (UI) and Utah State University team announced they were the first to clone a member of the equine family–the mule–according to an article to be published in the journal Science. The research team includes Gordon Woods, DVM, MS, PhD, Dipl. ACT, UI professor of animal and

The number of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) cases in Florida has risen to 68 for this year, further substantiating an earlier suspicion that 2003 will be a tough year for fighting the disease. Florida’s case count for all of 2002 was 25 horses.

EEE is caused by a virus found in wild birds, and it’s transmitted to horses and humans via the bite of an infected mosquito. Horses do no

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) farm based at Blackburn Correctional Facility in Lexington, Ky., will be having its first annual open house on June 6. Events begin at 10 am and last until 2 pm.

Twenty TRF horses will be featured for adoption, and door prizes will be offered. Come out and enjoy the day!

For more information and to RSVP, contact Missy Klick by June

Arkansas state veterinarian Paul Norris, DVM, announced last week that a horse in the Ft. Smith area had been infected with West Nile virus (WNV). Testing on the Sebastian County horse was completed at USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory.

Sharon Williams, DVM, state public health veterinarian with the Department of Health, said, “The identification of West Nile virus in a

According to several Georgia newspapers, Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) has struck nine horses in the southern part of the state. Only three cases were documented in Georgia in 2002.

EEE is caused by a virus found in wild birds, and it is transmitted to horses and humans via the bite of an infected mosquito. Horses do not develop high enough levels of the EEE virus in their blood t

There are still no clues as to the identity of the person or persons who left a badly malnourished and injured horse in a riverbed west of the San Gabriel River (605) Freeway last month, according to the Whittier Daily News. However, a reward for information in the case was offered May 7, officials said.

Officials from the Southeast Area Animal Control Authority (SEAACA) foun

According to a Sonoma, Calif., newspaper, reward donations and suspect leads are pouring in following the recent discovery of a mare who was chased to death in her Kenwood pasture several weeks ago.

The investigator in charge of the case said on May 7 that more than one perpetrator may have been responsible.

Sonoma County sheriff’s Detective Jack Neely said to the Sonoma