Five horses in the Central Valley tested positive for West Nile Virus over recent weeks, one of which has died, the California Department of Food and Agriculture reported on Wednesday.
The five horses were from Fresno, Sacramento, Merced and Kings counties, and only one of them was vaccinated against the disease.
These are the first confirmed cases of equine West Nile Virus in the state this year, the most recent of which was an unvaccinated two year old quarter horse from Kings County who died on Monday after displaying neurological signs.
The agency encouraged all owners to both vaccinate their animals, and consult their veterinarians regularly to ensure they are up to date on their shots.
West Nile Virus symptoms for horses include fever, incoordination, generalized weakness, drooping lips or head, hypersensitivity to touch or sound and recumbency.
Twenty horses were infected in the state last year and five died.
Bay City News reported that as of Tuesday 1,482 mosquito samples have tested positive for the virus in 2021, with 266 from San Joaquin County. A spokesperson for the the county vector and control district told the outlet that the high rates in the samples should serve as a warning to the public to take precautions.
Safe practices to protect against mosquitoes carrying West Nile Virus include draining unnecessary standing water, cleaning water containers weekly, scheduling pasture irrigation, keeping swimming pools chlorinated and drained, and using fish that consume mosquito larvae.
Mosquitoes become infected by the virus when they feed on birds, and subsequently pass it on to horses, who are dead end hosts and don’t pass it on to other horses or humans, according to the agency.
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