The 5-month-old Rocky Mountain Horse from Powell County presented on Oct. 9 with clinical signs including proprioception deficit with ataxia (incoordination) while standing and recumbency (down) with the ability to stand with assistance. | Photo: Wikimedia Commons

On Tuesday, Oct. 15, the University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (UKVDL) confirmed that a second Kentucky horse tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV). The 5-month-old Rocky Mountain Horse from Powell County presented on Oct. 9 with clinical signs including proprioception deficit with ataxia (incoordination) while standing and recumbency (down) with the ability to stand with assistance.

Due to signs compatible with WNV, veterinarians collected and tested a sample from the horse on Oct. 10. The horse, which had no WNV vaccination history, didn’t respond to treatment, and its condition progressively worsened until it died. Officials confirmed the horse positive after tests detected WNV-specific IgM antibodies.

About West Nile Virus

West Nile virus transmission occurs when infected mosquitoes feed on animals, as well as humans, after having fed on infected birds