Disease Alerts

Five horses in northeast Ohio have been confirmed positive for West Nile virus (WNV) between August 23 and September 5, 2017, based on clinical signs and serologic testing at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa. A 12-year-old gelding from Wayne County presented on August 23^rd with fever (102-103 F), ataxia, head wobbling, lethargy, weakness, and was unsteady in the rear limbs. As of Sept. 12, the attending veterinarian reported the horse was "alive and showing improvement, and was responding to supportive treatment. An approximately 10-year-old, also from Wayne County, the gelding was euthanized on August 26^th after having been treated for 3 days. The horse was down, unable to rise, and had quit eating. An 8-year-old gelding from Holmes County presented on August 25th with fever (102.5 F), weakness, and refused to eat or drink; the horse died despite treatment on September 4^th. An 8-year-old mare from Tuscawaras County showed onset of muscle fasciculations and hypersensitivity to stimuli on September 5^th as well as stiffness in all four legs. The horse responded to established treatment protocol and was estimated to be 85-90% recovered as of September 13th. A 5-year-old gelding from Ashtabula County presented on August 30^th with rapidly progressing signs of weakness, stiff neck, very sensitive to neck palpations, inability to move the front limbs and weakness, falling over when bending down to eat. Extensive supportive care was administered and the horse was reported still alive as of September 13^th. None of the affected horses had been vaccinated for WNV.