The Kansas Department of Agriculture and its Division of Animal Health have reported a number of confirmed cases of West Nile Virus in horses across the state over the past few weeks.
Confirmed cases were reported in Butler, Barber, Pratt and Douglas counties. All of the confirmed cases were in unvaccinated horses or horses with an unknown vaccination history.
Horse owners are urged to talk with their local veterinarians and make a vaccination plan. West Nile is a preventable disease and annual vaccinations have been found to be highly effective.
The virus is carried and transmitted by mosquitoes, and it is not directly contagious from horse to horse or from horse to human. The virus can be fatal in horses, and symptoms can include loss of appetite, fever, and severe neurologic signs such as incoordination, weakness, inability to rise, and hypersensitivity to touch or sound.
