An area veterinarian is urging horse owners in Southwest Louisiana to protect their animals from Eastern equine encephalitis,
which has killed several horses in recent weeks.
Dr. Ted Shope of South Bayou Animal
Hospital in Lake Charles said Friday he has seen more than a dozen cases
of the mosquito-borne
illness in the area in the past three weeks. Of those cases, only
two horses are still alive, because they had been vaccinated,
he said.
Disease cases and dead horses have been confirmed in Creole, Grand Cheiner, Reeves, south Lake Charles and eastern Jefferson
Davis Parish, he said.
“I have seen a lot of sick and dying animals which have been diagnosed positive for Eastern encephalitis by this clinic and
the LSU Diagnostic Lab,” Shope said.
He said horse owners should make sure their animals are vaccinated for mosquito-borne diseases, including West Nile and Eastern
equine encephalitis.
“If you have a horse living in an
outdoor environment and exposed to a large number of mosquitoes, you
need to consider vaccinating
it,” he said.
Vaccinations are available from area veterinarians or local feed or tractor supply stores for about $30.
Vaccinations are available for West Nile virus itself and for a combination of West Nile, Eastern equine encephalitis and
Western encephalitis. Shope recommends the combination vaccine.
“I know a guy in Ardoin Cove whose horse was positive for Eastern encephalitis, and he went to the store and bought the plain
West Nile vaccine,” he said. “Five days later the horse was dead of Eastern encephalitis.”
The virus attacks the central nervous system of horses. Symptoms can include lethargy and inability to stand or walk.
“This is not something that is going to happen gradually,” Shope said. “It happens almost immediately. The horse can be feeling
fine at feeding time last night and sick the next morning.”
If the horse has never been vaccinated, there is almost a 100 percent chance it will die, he said. Death usually occurs 48-72
hours after the first signs of illness.