May 2002

Vivid Description of WNV Symptoms

I appreciated your March article on West Nile virus, since my horse, Zip, was one of the 37 positive Georgia horses last year. My vet, Dr. Mary Rogers, is convinced that there were many more positive cases than were actually confirmed. She had 19 of the confirmed WNV horse cases in Georgia and 33 “potentials,” horses that didn’t have EEE, WEE or rabies.

Morbidity was high over a long period; mortality was 33%. One two-year-old WNV horse was severely affected last year, apparently recovered, but just died of renal failure, possibly secondary to West Nile virus treatment last July. …