West Nile Virus Detected in Washington

West Nile virus (WNV) has been detected in a dead raven collected near Newport, Wash. Testing at the National Wildlife Health Center Laboratory in Madison, Wisc., confirmed the virus. This is the first WNV detection in Washington, according to

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Equine Salmonellosis in the United States and Kentucky

Salmonella spp. cause a multitude of diseases in horses, including diarrhea, abscesses, septicemia, and other ailments. Over 2,200 serotypes of salmonellae are known and can be identified at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories

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You Should Be Afraid, But…

West Nile virus is here to stay. Just like its cousins Eastern and Western equine encephalitis, it can be controlled, but only with diligence and hard work. West Nile virus (WNV) is deadly in about 40% of the horses which get the disease. It

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West Nile Virus Moves West in Canada

Horse owners in Canada are becoming just as wary of the neurological disease West Nile virus (WNV) as their U.S. neighbors (see “West Nile Virus Alert” on page 32). The virus, which is harbored by birds and spread by the bite of an infected

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More Kentucky Potomac Horse Fever Cases

Two additional cases of Potomac horse fever (PHF) have been confirmed at Hagyard-Davidson-McGee (HDM) veterinary hospital in Lexington, Ky., bringing the clinic’s total to five confirmed cases since the end of July. Two other PHF cases previousl

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Sexually Transmitted Diseases

You’re preparing your mare for the upcoming breeding season. The stud owner insists on a bacterial culture of your mare’s uterus prior to live breeding to reduce the chances of her passing any sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) she might have

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Diagnosing Breathing Problems

Many of you are familiar with the respiratory condition known as “heaves,” also termed recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). Primarily caused by chronic exposure to dusts and molds in hay and bedding, heaves can cripple the function of a horse’s

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Clostridium in Mares and Foals

Newborn foals are especially susceptible to gastrointestinal diseases such as clostridial enterocolitis, which is characterized by abdominal pain, diarrhea, toxemia, shock, or death without prior signs. While this disease occurs only

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Cardiovascular Changes With Moldy Corn Poisoning

Fumonisins are toxic byproducts of the fungus Fusarium verticilloides, which often grows on corn. These mycotoxins can cause leukoencephalomalacia (moldy corn poisoning) in horses, and are undetectable to the naked eye. Horses exposed to

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West Nile Virus Alert!

by Kimberly S. Herbert and Stephanie L. Church

West Nile virus is a dangerous and scary disease, and it is spreading across North America very quickly. However, this is one of the few times when horses have it better than humans when it

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EIA in Georgia: Four Horses Test Positive, 94 Quarantined

Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin announced last week that four horses in Chattooga County tested positive for equine infectious anemia (EIA) and have been euthanized. At press time, 94 other horses in the county had been

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Vaccine Licensing

Any company trying to put a new vaccine on the market must follow a specific process to obtain a license from the USDA before the product can be used in the horse population. A vaccine receives either a conditional or full license after a series

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