Moses Lake horse has West Nile

MOSES LAKE - A 24-year-old gelding quarter horse near Moses Lake was discovered to have the West Nile Virus.

The virus is considered serious and can be fatal, according to Grant County Public Health District spokesperson Theresa Fuller. The risk of catching the virus is "very low."

"About 1 in 5 people infected will have mild symptoms such as fever, headache and body aches. Even fewer, about 1 in 150 people infected, will have more severe symptoms," Fuller stated. "Most people who are infected with West Nile Virus will not get sick."

People over 50 years of age have the highest risk of serious illness, she added.

The West Nile Virus is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito and cannot be contracted by contact with infected people or animals, according to Fuller.

The Moses Lake horse appears to be recovering, according to Jason Kelly, state Department of Agriculture spokesperson.

A second horse in Prosser, a 5-year-old quarter horse male, may have to be euthanized, he added.

Neither horse was vaccinated against the West Nile Virus, according to the state.

These are the first two horses known to contract the virus this year. Kelly stated eight horses in Yakima County were known to have been infected last year.

There have been no human cases reported in Washington for 2008, according to Fuller. There were no locally acquired human infections reported in the state last year.

"The Grant County Health District confirmed that local Mosquito Control efforts have been active in the area and at this time there are no suspected or confirmed human cases of West Nile Virus in Grant County," Fuller stated.

Two mosquito pools near the Benton and Yakima counties line have tested positive for West Nile Virus, according to the health district.

Officials from the health district and the state advise people with symptoms should contact a health care provider. The symptoms include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, tremors, convulsions and muscle weakness.

In severe cases, the virus can result in paralysis or a coma.

Kelly suggested people with horses have them vaccinated as soon as possible.

There is no vaccine for humans, advised Fuller, who suggested the best way to protect from infection is to avoid mosquito bites and reduce the places mosquitoes live and breed around your home.

To reduce risk, the health district advises to take these steps:

• Make sure windows and doors are bug tight. Repair or replace screens.

• Stay indoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are the most active.

• Wear a long sleeve shirt, long pants and a hat when going into mosquito-infested areas, such as wetlands or woods.

• Use mosquito repellent when necessary. Read the label and carefully follow instructions.

• Empty or throw away anything that holds standing water-bottles, cans, old tires, buckets, plastic covers and toys.

• Change water in your birdbaths, fountains, wading pools and animal troughs at least twice each week.

• Make sure roof gutters drain properly and clean clogged gutters in the spring and fall.

• Fix leaky outdoor faucets and sprinklers.

For more information on West Nile Virus, visit www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/ts/Zoo/WNV/WNV.html or http://www.bfhealth.org/wnv/.