Area horse first West Nile victim of season

West Nile virus claimed its first Southeast Missouri horse this year, a Sikeston, Mo., farm horse that died at a veterinarian's office on Tuesday.

Dr. Linus Huck, whose practice is in rural Jackson, said he received blood test results on the 17-year-old quarter horse Wednesday from Arkansas State University.

"It came here and wasn't here 15 minutes and died," Huck said. "It was showing all the classical signs. It had been sick a day or two. The horse was ataxic, just like it was drunk. It couldn't move, it couldn't stand. It was too late."

At this time last year, Huck had treated 40 or 50 horses for West Nile. Huck said the quarter horse had not been vaccinated for West Nile. It takes months to build up an immunity, meaning horses should already have been given the West Nile shot.

"Most people did, which is why we haven't seen more cases," Huck said.

Tracking cases

About 900 horses in Missouri either were suspected or confirmed as having West Nile in 2002. Karen Yates, the vector-borne disease program coordinator with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said it's important to track cases in animals because of the way the virus is transmitted. Mosquitoes bite infected birds and pass the virus on to horses and humans.

There has been one human case confirmed in the state this year -- a 7-year-old girl from Putnam County, near the Iowa border. State health officials said the girl was recovering. In extreme cases, the virus can cause brain inflammation, but more routine symptoms include fever, headaches and body aches that generally last for a few days.

There is no vaccine for humans and no medical treatment, although Yates said scientists are working on a vaccine.

Last year, Missouri had 168 human cases of West Nile virus, including seven deaths. August and September were the prime times for the disease.

To reduce the chance of mosquito bites, the health department encourages people to get rid of old tires, containers and debris that can hold water and provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes. People also are encouraged to wear insect repellent containing the chemical DEET, especially from dawn until dusk.

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137