In the wake of the May 4 tornado that destroyed homes, buildings and lives in the Marionville, Mo. area, many horses were left wounded and without the necessities for survival. Several horses were killed or had to be euthanized due to injuries sustained when one of the worst tornadoes in Missouri history ripped through the state. The horses that survived faced injuries and loss of shelter,

A study led by researchers at Colorado State University determined that the effects of West Nile virus (WNV) cost equine owners in Colorado and Nebraska more than $1.25 million in 2002, and prevention costs for WNV vaccinations likely exceeded an additional $2.75 million for the equine industry in those states last year. In 2002, Colorado reported 378 and Nebraska reported 1,100 confirme

A package containing West Nile virus (WNV) exploded on March 18 at a Federal Express building in Columbus, Ohio, near the Port Columbus International Airport, the Associated Press reported. Fifty workers were evacuated.

The shoebox-size sealed package probably burst because of dry ice used to preserve tissue samples from a bird with the virus. The package was being sent from the Ohio

The University of Kentucky’s President, Lee Todd, announced the appointment of Alltech Inc, a global leading manufacturer of natural technologies for the feed, food and alcohol industries, as one of its Presidential Fellows.

President Todd said, “Alltech’s continued support for the University of Kentucky is a source of immense pride to all of us. Alltech receives this Presidential

A disease that kills mosquitoes could be one way to slow the spread of West Nile virus (WNV), the USDA said in an Associated Press story.

Jim Becnel, a scientist with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, said Wednesday he and a team of researchers have come up with a new method to kill mosquitoes by infecting them with an illness called baculovirus that works only on mosquitoes.

A man in Bullitt County, Ky., has been charged with shooting two horses on his neighbor’s farm under unusual circumstances, according to WLEX 18 (www.lex18.com).

“Steven Smith told police the horses were chasing him and his dog,” said the article.

Owner Pat Conway heard gunshots and went to check on the horses which were in the barn. One of

A 24-year-old gelding in the United Kingdom suffered severe burns after being doused in gasoline and set on fire in early March. At first, owners Geoffrey and Kath McWilliams believed they would have to euthanize Gus, but according to an article in the Manchester Evening News (https://www.manchesteronline.co.uk, 4/15/03), he’s recovering graduall

Last year’s drought continues to affect horse owners in Franklin, North Carolina, according to WRAL.com, the web site of News Channel 5 in Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville, NC. Many of the horses have ended up on horse rescue farms like The North Carolina Equine Rescue League, which currently has 47 horses in its care; 24 of those have arrived since January.

The article quoted rescue

Pennsylvania health official announced April 14 that Pennsylvania has launched this year’s effort to detect and control mosquitoes that carry West Nile virus (WNV).

“It’s that time of the year againtime to get your yard back in shape or just get out and enjoy Pennsylvania’s natural wonders,” Acting Secretary Dr. Robert Muscalus said. “But don’t forget about the mosquitoes. In 2002,

Kentucky’s Agriculture Commissioner Billy Ray Smith reminded farmers and
farm businesses to take extra care to prevent thefts of anhydrous ammonia
during the planting season.

Anhydrous ammonia is a common nitrogen fertilizer for crops. It also is a
target for thieves who use it to produce the street drug methamphetamine or
sell it on the black market. The number of

Now is the time for horse owners in Kentucky to consult with
their veterinarians about vaccinating their animals for West Nile virus (WNV),
Kentucky’s Agriculture Commissioner Billy Ray Smith said.

“West Nile virus was diagnosed in 513 equine and 75 humans in Kentucky last
year,” Smith said. “Kentuckians can take steps now to reduce
the risk of West Nile later in the year

Nathaniel White, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, has been named Interim Director of the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center (EMC) in Leesburg, Va. White, who assumed leadership responsibilities for the equine clinical and research center on April 1, succeeds G. Frederick Fregin, DVM, the center’s founding director.

White joined the center as Assistant Director in 1985 and was appointed the

As the United States fights a war in Iraq and a larger war against terrorism, Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Billy Ray Smith has called upon farmers and farm businesses to do their part to secure the nation’s food supply.
“Since Sept. 11, 2001, agro-terrorism–malicious and intentional acts intended to disrupt our food supply–has become a new word in our vocabularies, and bio-security

A new Horse/Human Age Relationship Chart was recently released that seeks to better explain the relationship between the stages of life for humans and horses. This information reveals that, beginning at birth, horses age 6.5 years for each human year until puberty. Once a horse reaches age four, that rate slows to 2.5 years for each human year.

The Age Relationship Chart, created by

Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation’s board of directors has approved funding of $748,116 for a slate of 19 research projects for 2003, increasing the organization’s total for equine research since 1983 to more than $10 million.

The research funded in 2003 will take place at 11 universities in the United States and Canada and includes the launch of 10 new projects and the

Researchers at Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences today released results from a research project that summarizes the background characterization of last year’s outbreak of West Nile virus (WNV) in equids from Colorado and Nebraska.

“The objective of the study was to describe the equine West Nile virus cases in Colorado and Nebraska in