The Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Animal Health has received notification of multiple confirmed cases of west nile virus in horses in Douglas, Barber, Butler and Pratt Counties. This is preventable, annual vaccinations that have proven highly effective. All of the confirmed cases in Kansas were in unvaccinated horses or were assumed to be unvaccinated. All horse owners should consult with their local veterinarians and make a vaccination plan for their horses.
Horses can have symptoms that range from depression, loss of appetite and fever to severe neurologic signs such as incoordination, weakness, inability to rise, and hyper sensitivity to touch or sound and it can be fatal in horses. If you see symptoms of WNV in your horse, contact your veterinarian immediately. The virus is carried and transmitted by mosquitoes; it is not directly contagious from horse to horse or from horse to human.
