New York’s Agriculture Commissioner Nathan L. Rutgers announced Tuesday that three horses in the Middletown area of Orange County have tested positive for WNV. One 16-year-old horse was euthanized on Sept. 7 and two horses are currently recovering from the disease.

“The bad news is that three more horses have tested positive with this deadly disease,” said Rudgers. “The good news is that with the arrival of the first frost just around the corner, New Yorkers and horse owners can be assured that the mosquito season is almost over. Until that time comes, we need to continue to take all the preventative measures we can to protect ourselves and our horses from this virus.”

All three horses showed neurologic symptoms such as muscle trembling and uncoordinated movements. The horse that died went down Sept. 6 and was unable to rise. The horse was euthanized the following day. The horse had also been on medication for heaves over the past two years.

The other two horses, both in their teens, although appearing wobbly, did not become ill as the older horse and are both recovering. They appear to have no other health problems. The initial onset of illness among these horses was around Labor Day and the last horse was diagnosed on Sept. 13