West Nile Virus

[moparguy]

Just wondering if anyone had inoculated there horses for West Nile Virus. Just got back from the barn after administering shots to our horses. Vaccine was $15 bucks per shot from our Vet.



A few horses have died in the past week within a few miles of our place.



Ronnie

 

[Doc Tinker]

I saw on the news tonight that they are spending millions to fog, spray and seed for mosquitoes in Louisiana. Dozens of people have gotten the virus and some have died.



They used to tell us that AIDS can't be spread via mosquito, but mosquitoes can spread malaria and west nile??



Doc

 

[GLASMITHS]

Mike

I don't have any horses now; however a close friend about 2 miles away said the had found 3 dead birds, and people close by them had a horse die today? So I'm staying in in the evening.

 

[WyoJim]

I haven't yet. I heard it was in South Dakota and coming this way. Probably be here in the spring, but I will talk to my vet Monday any way.

 

[Peter Campbell]

I want to see what the Commiefornian environmentalists do about this one. Spray horrible insecticide or allow people to die of a "natural" disease. OBTW I am using thier view of insecticides. I believe thier are reasonable tradeoffs. A few billion mosiquitos are not worth one human life. But then again I am not from Commiefornia. I am from New York ( almost as bad) this is where the west nile S*** started. The idiots fought the idea of spraying here in New York. I just hope the mosquitos like the taste of environmentalists more than normal humans.

 

[WyoJim]

DDT?

Go west young mosquito



A few days ago MSN reported that the West Nile virus, first

discovered in New York three years ago, has now been found as

far west as South Dakota. They expect it to reach California

within a year. Mosquito bites that were once annoying are now

alarming. Even scarier than the virus is the fact that all of

this could have been easily avoided.



Last year, cities on the East Coast used pesticides to help

guard against the West Nile virus. But the Big Gun, DDT, is no

longer available. Because of stupid political actions, forced by

the green vanguard, which is loaded with fanaticism and devoid

of scientific facts, and the sinister population-control

intellectuals, who are guilty of mass murder through preventable

plague attacks on the Third World, DDT has been banned. (Boy,

that was a mouthful. )



The only ways to permanently eliminate the virus (and others,

including malaria and yellow fever) is to drain all of the

wetlands within a few miles of population centers (mosquitoes do

not migrate far from home) and to use copious amounts of DDT.



Can you imagine the ruckus the enviro-Nazis would raise if even

a square foot of wetland, formerly known as swampland, were

drained? And if the land were sprayed with DDT? Nerve gas, even

botulism, would be better in the fevered imagination of these

foolish people.



Well, let me tell you the scientific facts about DDT.



* DDT is one of the greatest chemical accomplishments in the

history of mankind.



* DDT does not, and never did, threaten the bald eagle.

"Thinning of the eagle's shell" as a result of DDT exposure was

a pure fabrication. Junk science of the most outrageous sort.



* In 1970, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) said: "To only

a few chemicals does man owe as great a debt as to DDT. ... In a

little more than two decades, DDT has prevented 500 million

human deaths, due to malaria, that otherwise would have been

inevitable. "



* DDT does not cause cancer and, in fact, may prevent certain

cancers. Dr. William Hazeltine, one of the great medical

scientists of this century, found that DDT protects rats from

leukemia and breast cancer. It is also effective in the

treatment of juvenile jaundice. Hazeltine found that children in

agricultural areas have less infant jaundice than city children,

and this correlates with higher levels of serum DDT!



Since the political tide is not likely to change in favor of DDT

anytime soon, you must take steps to protect yourself and keep

potentially disease bearing mosquitoes away from your home. See

that your neighborhood is free of stagnant pools of water, such

as wading pools and poor drainage areas that collect water. Ask

the public-health people to inspect the area. And get rid of any

automobile tires, kitchen pots, commodes, or old washing

machines that might be cluttering up your yard.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Originally posted by moparguy

Just wondering if anyone had inoculated there horses for West Nile Virus. Just got back from the barn after administering shots to our horses. Vaccine was $15 bucks per shot from our Vet.



A few horses have died in the past week within a few miles of our place.



Ronnie

We had ours vaccinated for WNV early this spring. My wife and I were discussing this with friends from ND recently. She said two boosters but I was thinking it was one? Anyway, it is not instant protection and FWIW, 15 bucks is cheap. I know of no reactions to the shots. There have been horses that were vaccinated but still became ill but the shots may not have taken effect or were ineffective. Not perfect but better than nothing I guess.



WyoJim, I for one don't agree with you about DDT.

 

[GLASMITHS]

WyoJim

Do you live in a trailer park? Usually people do not have old commodes sitting around.



The person that died here this week was a prominent atty. The last person you would think. But he got swarmed the 4th at a Bar-B-cu and... ... .



We have a good control program here; though with all the rain lately, rice fields, swamps you just cain't drain everything. Some of the Parishes (counties) have nothing. So when it gets bad they start hollering for money. We have a dedicated tax so it is a year around thing. The whakos would really get upset around here, cause they spray almost every day of the year some where-there is a bunch of aircraft, and at times they rent additional ones. This is getting scary though

 

[moparguy]

QRTRHRS, I haven't talked to our vet, wife picked up the shots. Any idea how long for the vaccine to kick in? We'll be leaving in about 3 weeks on a outing that'll have about 5000 horses on a few hundred acres. Might change our plans if 3 weeks isn't time enough.



Thanks, Ronnie

 

[illflem]

I agree DDT shouldn't have been banned but it really didn't matter, many insects were becoming resistant to it. I used tons of it my orchard but the ban was of little consequence because it wasn't working anyways. Killing off an insect with pesticides will never work, you just leave the ones that are immune to pass that trait on. Money spent on mosquito control is better spent on vaccines/cures for the virus. I'm sure that's the way control will go long before West Nile spreads across the country causing many deaths. My understanding is that WN is nothing like AIDS and will be easy to control.

 

[Jeff H]

Its been spreading pretty rapidly here. Kinda think the 10,000 + lakes here are gonna spread like a epidmeic.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Moparguy, not sure about the time it takes. Probably varies horse to horse too. I would be just as concerned if not more so with the usual problems associated with large groups of horses. I will ask my wife if she knows off hand and get back later (just finished my coffee break and gotto go). Check out Fort Dodge's website. thehorse.com is excellent for WNV info and more. They put out a weekly email newsletter that you can subscribe to for free.



For anyone else who may be wondering about this problem and why it is moving and how I will explain. Birds and mosquitoes. Mosquitoes pass it on to birds, birds move around taking the disease to other areas, pass it to mosquitoes... ... Old world birds such as starlings are immune to it. Our domestic species especially crows and hawks are very susceptable. The incidence in humans is very low but you don't want to be in that pecentile. Horses, big as they are, are particularly susceptable to encephalitus type deseases.

 

[Pit Bull]

Originally posted by moparguy

QRTRHRS, I haven't talked to our vet, wife picked up the shots. Any idea how long for the vaccine to kick in? We'll be leaving in about 3 weeks on a outing that'll have about 5000 horses on a few hundred acres. Might change our plans if 3 weeks isn't time enough.



Thanks, Ronnie

Said on the news last night that it takes 6 weeks after the last shot for the horse to be protected. Can't remember but I thought they said it took 2 or 3 shots?? Sounds like a couple of month deal for the horse to be protected. I'd get started right away. It is not spread from horse to horse. If the outting is in the states that don't have the problem yet I would go where it is safer.

 

[GLASMITHS]

DDT

The only time I have used it was in the late 50's in Japan for crabs. Good stuff. Havn't had them since.

 

[Pit Bull]

Re: DDT

Originally posted by GLASMITHS

The only time I have used it was in the late 50's in Japan for crabs. Good stuff. Havn't had them since.

I've heard the best way to get them little guys is to shave half and set fire to the other half and when they run out you stab them with an ice pick

 

[Peter Campbell]

Also alled "mechanical dandruff"

 

[QRTRHRS]

Moparguy, per this Fort Dodge release, there are two shots, given 3-6 weeks apart. Maximum effectiveness takes about two weeks after the booster.



http://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle. asp?fid=2967&dpt=5&n=West+Nile+Virus+%28WNV%29&case=2

 

[moparguy]

Thanks for the info QRTRHRS, the Fort Dodge site is a good one. I've saved it for future reference.



If any of you are going to Clinton for the Labor Day World Championship Chuck Wagon Races, speak up, let's talk.



Ronnie

 

[QRTRHRS]

Back to the top! WNV kills a dog!

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002-09-17-west-nile_x.htm

 

[Bigramguy]

We have it here too

We have 17 or so reported or suspected human cases,of which 5-6 are actually confirmed.



1 elderly man died on monday I believe,and the autopsy said west nile was the culprit.



We have had a lot of the dead birds popping up since last year,but the human outbreak just started. Kinda scary.