Evidence of West Nile virus (WNV) was found in 35 aborted fetuses in Kentucky since July of 2002, according to Lenn Harrison, VMD, head of the Kentucky Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center in Lexington. “We have handled about 400 aborted fetuses and tested them, so this is less than 10%,” he reported on Feb. 4. He emphasized that WNV has not been known to cause abortion in mares; therefore,

Antimicrobial drugs in veterinary medicine have made a dramatic improvement in the health of our horses, but it’s alarming when infections do not respond to these drugs. “It is not a new phenomenon, but there has been ever-growing concern about antimicrobial resistance.”

Fitch said that he often handles problem horses by himself, as a handler might not anticipate the interaction between him and the horse and can end up in the way or injured. Also, it’s important to have a place where the horse can move around in case of a panic–for that reason, Fitch doesn’t like treating horses in cross ties.

Saville presented a summary of what is known about EPM, and he believes that with better understanding of the disease, wildlife management, risk-factor manipulation, prophylactic medications, and possible vaccination, that prevention of EPM can be attained.

At least two Iowa horses have been euthanized after battling what officials believe might be the neurologic form of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1). According to Iowa State Veterinarian John Schiltz, DVM, officials know of only one premise possibly affected by the virus, where these two horses lived. “Some of the preliminary tests have come back negative, but the definitive testing is

The USDA has issued a full license to Fort Dodge Animal Health for its West Nile virus (WNV) vaccine that has been distributed under a conditional license since August of 2001. Results of efficacy studies completed and submitted to the USDA qualified the vaccine for full licensure. According to Tom Overbay, DVM, director, Field Veterinary Services at Fort Dodge, 95% of horses vaccinated with

Scott McClure, DVM, PhD, of Iowa State, reported on the effects of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) on suspensory ligament desmitis. He noted that ESWT is being used for the treatment of equine musculoskeletal diseases.

The Equine Hospital at the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine has closed its doors to non-emergency horse admissions until Feb. 20, 2003. This action has been taken to allow disinfection of the hospital because of potential contamination by horses admitted January 18, 19, and 24, 2003 from an outbreak of equine herpes virus type 1 (EHV-1) infection that occurred at the

One more horse has shown neurologic signs of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) in the outbreak which began Jan. 12 at the University of Findlay’s English riding facility in Findlay, Ohio. Twelve horses have died during the outbreak, and at least 43 horses have exhibited neurological signs of the disease (including the 12 which died). The latest neurologic case is considered stable, and

According to a Feb. 10 proMED report, a virulent anthrax outbreak has caused the deaths of 42 horses from rural communities in the municipalities of Pueblo Nuevo and Condega in Nicaragua. The report was made from a translation of a story in the Nicaraguan newspaper, La Prensa (https://www.laprensa.com.ni).

Anthrax is characterized by a

“What is interesting to understand about the horse is that at rest, it breathes about 86,000 liters of air a day, about 25,000 gallons, which may carry quite a bit of dust particles that can really injure the respiratory tract,” said Laurent Couëtil, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, of Purdue University in the In Depth: Inflammatory Airway Disease (IAD) session at the 2002 American Association of Equine

On the heels of the deadly equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) outbreak in Ohio came a report of a private farm in Canada with several horses dead of the same cause. Scott Weese, DVM, DVSc, Dipl. ACVIM, assistant professor of clinical studies at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College, said Canada has had at least one big EHV-1 outbreak in the past six months, but sporadic

The “miserable, tragic experience” of losing a dozen horses and fighting to save more than 100 others which became ill has devastated the University of Findlay. It will take weeks or months for the remaining 30 horses with neurologic signs of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) to recover. The outbreak began on Jan. 12, and the losses were still occurring as late as Feb. 1, when the last o

Beginning Jan. 12 many horses at the University of Findlay’s James L. Child Jr. Equestrian Complex developed fever and depression, and some had nasal discharge and wouldn’t eat. Within 48-72 hours, 85% of the horses showed similar signs.

Every veterinarian has had an equine client (or three) that resisted treatment and often a nightmarish story to go along with it. Compliant patients allow for safer and more efficient veterinary practices, so the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) teamed up with the American Quarter Horse Association at the AAEP convention to offer veterinarians a live horse demonstration

Government veterinary officials recently designated West Nile virus (WNV) as an endemic disease in the United States. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services (VS) previously had considered WNV a Foreign Animal Disease (FAD), since it had never been detected in the United States prior to 1999. (Read more about WNV at www.TheHorse.com/wnv.) The