ANIMAL CARE Experts: Horses need West Nile vaccine

The disease is 30 percent fatal in horses, a veterinarian warns.
CANFIELD -- Now is the time for horses to be vaccinated against West Nile virus, the extension office advises.
"Horses need to be vaccinated twice, three to six weeks apart, with the initial vaccination beginning immediately," said David Goerig, Ohio State University extension agent.
"It's spread by mosquitoes, so this is probably the best time -- before the onset of the mosquito season," agreed Dr. Robert Maro, a Coitsville equine veterinarian.
More than 100 horses in Ohio were identified last year as having West Nile disease -- a viral condition that infects the animal's brain and spinal cord, the extension office said.
Dr. Maro said he didn't know how many horses in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys got the disease last year, but he said he saw two cases in Canfield-area horses, one of which was fatal.
The disease has about a 30 percent mortality rate in horses, he said. Most surviving horses make a full recovery, but some suffer long-term neurological damage, he added. The vaccine costs about $20 a dose, Dr. Maro said.
Horses that were vaccinated last year need their annual booster now, the extension office advised. Race and show horses and other horses under intense training or stress should get two annual boosters, one in April and another in late July, Goerig said.
Quelling mosquitoes
The extension office advises horse owners to take the following mosquito-control steps:
UKeep horses indoors at dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.
UKeep lights off in the stable to avoid attracting mosquitoes.
UDirect fans on horses to help deter mosquitoes.
UKeep birds away from the stable because they can be hosts of West Nile virus.
UEliminate containers of standing water where mosquitoes breed, such as used tires, parked equipment, birdbaths, buckets, tarps, empty feed troughs and wheelbarrows.
UDrain mud puddles and low spots in driveways and barn lots and fill them with earth or gravel to reduce mosquito-breeding sites.
UConsider using larvicides, pesticides or mosquito repellents, and carefully follow directions for their use.