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News Release 8-27-2001

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EQUINE ENCEPHALITIS VACCINES AVAILABLE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 27, 2001

CHARLESTON, WV – West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass reminds the state’s horse owners that vaccines for eastern and western encephalitis are readily available.
“The heavy rains we’ve had this summer have resulted in a banner year for mosquitoes, which carry these diseases,” said Commissioner Douglass. “This is just a friendly reminder to horse owners to protect their animals by vaccinating them if they have not already done so.”

Although West Nile Virus (WNV) – another mosquito-borne disease – has garnered most of the headlines this summer, theses two encephalitis strains are just as dangerous to horses, according to Dr. Lewis Thomas, State Veterinarian and Director of the West Virginia Department of Agriculture’s (WVDA) Animal Health Division.

“The reason we’ve been hearing so much about WNV is that it has only been discovered in this country in the past two or three years. These strains of encephalitis have been here for many years, so they don’t get the same kind of attention. However, they can both be deadly to horses,” said Dr. Thomas. “Thankfully, these diseases are easily preventable. Vaccines for these strains have been around for years and should be readily available from your local veterinarian. We highly recommend that owners verify that their animal’s vaccinations are up to date.”

A third strain of equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, has no vaccine, but is rare in this area, added Dr. Thomas.

For more information, call the WVDA’s Animal Health Division at 304/558-2214

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