West Nile in North Texas

[clanter]

“It’s the worst since 2016 and that’s caught our attention,” said Denton County Public Health Director Matt Richardson."

We have had to go to a booster vaccination for West Nile in the Fall after daughter’s horse died from West Nile in 2016. He was the second horse we have had that contracted West Nile, the first was back in 2002 or 01, it was during the first wave coming through. Then our horse was the only survivor our vet had out of about 150 head he saw/treated. I had caught the horse being off very early on as all of our stock is handled daily (they are in our backyard).

Daughter’s horse that died in 2016 I kept telling the vet that he was acting just like then one we had earlier. It was not until we got a second opinion of the racetrack vets at Lone Star that it was determined that he had contracted West Nile.

I know there are or at least were many north Texas horse owners on this board, I suggest from our experience that you check with your vet about a Fall booster as this year is stacking up as another bad one

[Bluey]

We lost a horse that first year WNV came thru here.
We had brought this horse from someone else, gave him all his shots, including WNV first time the vaccine was available.
Horse was in a friend’s barn a week later and that evening meal he didn’t eat, they put him in their observation pen by the office and 30 minutes later he was staggering and running into walls!
Vet was called immediately, I was called and headed over and at the time vet was getting there, horse hit the wall with it’s head and dropped dead.

Vet pulled blood and it was positive for WNV, said it was the worst he had seen.
He said horse caught it before the vaccine had time to be protective, takes about 21 days from vaccine for the immune system to be fully armed.
Vet too last several horses that spring to WNV.
You bet he always insisted his client’s horses were up to date on vaccines, WNV an important one in our semi-desert area, because when it does rain, mosquitoes explode.
I have seen them so thick on a grey horse’s neck, horse looked black.

We also lost that first year a wonderful man, a firefighter, to WNV.
He spent several months in the hospital, finally was recovering, sent home
and then died.

[NaturallyHappy]

Yikes! Thank you both for this. I don’t live in TX but my great vet said something similar because we’ve been in a drought.

[SLW]

Back in ‘02 one of my vaccinated horses caught WNV in September but he survived. One of the lucky ones.

I sure hope the increase is isolated to just TX and hope your horses are going to be ok, Clanter.

[clanter]

we have not noticed any dead crows or blue jays these are more likely to get sick and die from WNV than other birds, making them good indicators of the virus

we intentionally feed what we call our pack of crows who hang around specifically to use as an early warning

(all of our horses currently are given West Nile vaccinations in Spring and Fall, six months separation).

[Annie10]

This is timely because I was just thinking about this yesterday.
I am in Florida, and they said that we have had 24 inches of rain in the last 45 days. Even for Florida that’s kind of a lot without having a major hurricane come through. I actually have water so deep in my one pasture that I had ducks and geese swimming in it and feeding. In the 20+ years, we’ve lived here on this property that has never happened before. so I may have the Vet out as well to booster everyone because we have loads of standing water everywhere

[SLW]

@clanter Have you had a lot of rain in the past 6 weeks??

[clanter]

@SLW

@clanter Have you had a lot of rain in the past 6 weeks??

a few weeks ago we got six inches spread over a few days, before that rain it had been at least six weeks without a drop

I noticed that West Nile had appeared in the Houston area a few weeks ago. Now I was just told daughter’s trainer’s wife was hospitalize for possible West Nile they still awaiting the test results… they are in Dewey. OK which is north of Tulsa almost to the Kansas boarder. Strangely it has been hotter there than in Fort Worth

Since we have had two horses contract West Nile we are pretty watchful.

I was working on Long Island New York (in Ronkonkoma) when West Nile first appeared in the US (fall of 99), they really had no idea just what was killing the horses/making people ill there at first. It took the birds three years to carry it North Texas

was looking up of when the vaccine became available I was shocked at the current recommendations of vaccination

The WNV vaccine is available for horses for prevention of infection. An initial vaccination is followed by a booster 3 to 6 weeks later. A single vaccination appears ineffective for prevention. Preliminary data indicates protection may begin 30 days after the booster vaccination. Vaccination is recommended once, twice, or three times per year, thereafter, dependent on geographic location. Foals from vaccinated mares should begin their vaccination program at 3 months of age, and should be followed with 2 booster vaccines. Foals from unvaccinated mares should be vaccinated at 1, 2, 3, and 6 months of age.

https://www.ksvhc.org/services/equine/internal-medicine/west-nile.html

[Jarpur]

I had the vet out for a booster last month, and another vet clinic sent out an email recommending a booster a couple weeks ago. I’ve done twice a year, but never three times!

People are getting WN, too, isn’t it a problem in the NE? I’m normally pretty covered up when I’m outdoors, but I’ve begun spraying myself with a herbal bug repellent. It may be keeping the mosquitoes away, but seems to be attractive to bees and wasps, sigh.

I’m sprinkling BT granules around, too.

[clanter]

@Jarpur

People are getting WN, too, isn’t it a problem in the NE?

first came ashore on Long Island being identified in 1999

[JB]

IMHO, everyone in the (true) South should be vaccinating EEE and WNV Spring and Fall, and adding VEE if you’re close enough that way. WEE comes along with the first to so might as well

And, also IMHO, people in the N to NE areas should re-vaccinate in late Summer if it looks like temps are going to be a big warmer than usual.

[2DogsFarm]

Apologies for the hijack, but News here has reported cases of EEE in humans this Summer.
Proving fatal in some cases.
My horses are vaxed & I’ve had very few mosquito bites

https://news.vt.edu/articles/2024/08/Mosquito-borne-zoonotic-disease-encephalits-expert.html#:~:text=Eastern%20equine%20encephalitis%20(EEE)%2C,resident%2C%20according%20to%20health%20authorities.

[JB]

yes, sadly, humans get these diseases as well, and we don’t have a vaccine. BUT, we can practice good management to work to avoid getting bitten