Harold N. Adel, MD, MPH
Commissioner
Department of Health
Andrew J. Spano
County Executive
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION
October 20, 1999 Contact Mary Landrigan
West Nile-like virus confirmed in L.I. Horse (914) 637-4715
The Westchester County Department of Health advises horse owners to protect their horses against West Nile-like virus.
The USDA and CDC confirmed that at least one dead horse in Suffolk County had the virus and another 10 symptomatic horses have confirmed West Nile-like antibodies. Additional tests are pending.
"People who have horses are advised to take precautions whenever possible to make sure their horses don’t get bitten by mosquitoes," stated Dr. Harold N. Adel, Westchester County Health Commissioner. "The USDA recommends that, if possible, horses should be stabled inside from dusk to dawn, which is normal mosquito feeding times. Owners should also use mosquito repellent specialized for horses to prevent the horses from being bitten by mosquitoes."
"Clinical signs of the virus in horses include lethargy, weakness in the hind quarters, stumbling and incoordination, lack of awareness, head tilt and head twitch, convulsions, circling, hyperexcitability, partial paralysis and coma. Signs of West Nile-like virus can be confused with protozoal myelitis, a much more common disease among horses in our area." stated Dr. Douglas G. Aspros, DVM, a practicing veterinarian and President of the Westchester County Board of Health. "There is no vaccine to prevent the disease and treatment involved supportive therapy, " he continued.
USDA veterinarians and other vets assigned to federal agencies are conducting surveillance activities, including blood sampling of horses throughout Hudson Valley and Long Island, as part of an emergency response effort coordinated by the USDA.
Additional information and updates for veterinarians are available in the "Health Alerts" section of the Westchester County Department of Health website, www.westchestergov.com or through the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets at (518) 457-3502.
Additional information on West Nile-like virus for residents is also found on the Westchester County Health Department Website, www.westchestergov.com. Residents can also call the encephalitis hotline at 285-2032 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
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