Horse Owners Reminded To Vaccinate Against West Nile

Horse owners across the Pacific Northwest are reminded the importance of vaccinating their animal against the West Nile Virus. Cases of mosquitos and horses with the virus have been reported this month in Central Washington as well as southern Idaho. Idaho state veterinarian Dr. Scott Leibsle said it’s important to remember that a horse is considered a terminal vector, meaning once a horse has the Virus, it cannot be spread to another horse.

“The concern that a lot of people may have, that is very different from other contagious equine diseases, like Equine Herpes Virus, which can be passed from horse to horse, once your horse gets West Nile Virus, you don’t need to establish a quarantine because the horse is not going to infect any other animals," Leibsle noted. "So, your best protection against the West Nile Virus is to vaccinate your horse annually.”

Leibsle recommended if your horse is under vaccinated to talk with your vet to see if a booster is needed. He added West Nile is typically something horse owners need to watch for in the spring. But, thanks to the drought, mosquitos have not been an issue until recently.

“People are sometime lulled into a false sense of security in rainfall years that are down, you won’t see as many cases because there’s not as many mosquitos to spread the disease, but it’s important to keep your horse up to date with their vaccination and schedule your annual wellness visit with your veterinarian.”

Leibsle added the West Nile vaccine is very safe and effective and has been available for about 20 years.

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