Commentary
West Nile virus may seem like just another preventable disease these days, but 24 years ago the story was quite different. For many animal health pros, WNV and the severe neurologic disease it causes was the biggest health threat the horse industry had seen in the 20th century. Not only a risk to horses, WNV affects many species, including humans.
Stacey Oke, DVM, MSc, has assembled the story of how the veterinary community, U.S. government and animal health industry joined forces to find a way to protect our horses. The resource includes information about how WNV got here, the mosquitoes responsible, wildlife’s involvement, prevention strategies and a unique timeline map of incidence as WNV spread across the U.S.
Animal health pros rarely get to see features that chronicle a disease like this. Even those of us working in animal health in the late 1990’s can refresh our knowledge and learn something new from Oke’s article. Kudos to The Horse and its sponsors for this valuable resource.” – AHD Curators
Source: The Horse. Link.
INSIGHTS: The intersection of wildlife, domestic animals, environmental elements and zoonoses make this a must read for all animal health pros.