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 horse is a reminder that the virus is here and we all need to take precautions. Since the majority of human and veterinary West Nile virus cases occurred from June through September last year, a positive horse case this early is a little surprising, but some other states have already seen positive horses, birds, and even mosquitoes