The Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) has reported one positive cases of equine West Nile virus (WNV) in Bonner County, Idaho, and two cases in Ontario, Canada.
Idaho WNV Case
The Idaho State Department of Agriculture has confirmed a case of West Nile virus in a 6-year-old Quarter Horse horse gelding of unknown vaccination status. The horse became recumbent (unable to stand) with hind limb paralysis. This is the second WNV positive diagnosed in Idaho in 2017.
Ontario WNV Cases
On August 21, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) was notified of two positive test results for West Nile virus. The first case was a 10-year-old gelding in Simcoe County and the was a 25-year-old mare in Bruce County. The Simcoe County gelding was euthanized after developing severe neurological signs and seizures. The mare developed severe neurological deficits in all four limbs as well as facial hyperaesthesia and is recovering under veterinary medical supervision.
This article was created with information from the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC). The EDCC works to protect horses and the horse industry from the threat of infectious diseases in North America. The communication system is designed to seek and report real time information about disease outbreaks similar to how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) alerts the human population about diseases in people.
