[1] USDA APHIS Web Hub for Information re: WNV & Horses
[2] Equine Vaccine, Regulatory Process
[3] USDA APHIS Clarification re: WNV Equine Vaccine: Vaccine Safe for
Use
[4] CNN Story: California Horse country faces West Nile 'nightmare'
(Sept 2 2004)
[5] Oregon, US: 1st Equine Cases (Aug 19 2004)
[6] Sultanate of Oman: Limited WNV Equine Outbreak 2003
[7] Morocco: Equine Cases 2003
-------------------------
[1]
USDA APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service): WEB HUB for
INFORMATION re: WNV & HORSES
<http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/issues/wnv/wnv.html>
This website provides maps of current and previous year equine cases in
US, as well as responses to FAQ about WNV equine vaccine, impacts of
WNV on horses, etc. As of Aug 26 2004, USDA APHIS reports 351 equine
cases across the US, with fewer than 25 cases in most states and higher
numbers in California (122), Nevada (30), Wyoming (27), and Arizona
(64).
[The most recent CDC MMWR reports that as of Aug 31 "WNV infections
have been reported in horses from 31 states (Alabama, Arizona,
Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois,
Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri,
Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon,
South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, West
Virginia, and Wyoming) and in five dogs from Nevada and New Mexico.
<http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5334a6.htm>.]
------------------------
[2]
EQUINE VACCINE, REGULATORY PROCESS
[The following is excerpted from ProMED-mail (ID 20040730.2073),
submitted by Dr. Thomas Walton of USDA APHIS Veterinary Services to
correct information regarding the equine vaccine contained in an
earlier posting (ID 20040723.2011, #4).]
Date: 29 Jul 2004
From: Thomas Walton <Thomas.e.Walton@usda.gov>
1. All veterinary vaccines used in the US are licensed by the Center
for Veterinary Biologics (CVB) in Ames, Iowa, a part of the USDA's
Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Veterinary Services.
The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) does not license or approve
veterinary vaccines, but is responsible for regulation of pharmacologic
agents ("drugs") for both humans and animals. The WNV vaccines to which
the posting [quoted from a news report] referred are licensed by the
USDA-CVB, not the FDA.
2. The posting states the vaccines were allowed to be used "...months
before ... safety and effectiveness had been fully tested." This is not
correct. The CVB does not allow any product to be sold for use until
their safety has been established. No exception was granted for the
WNV vaccines. The 1st WNV vaccine for horses became available in 2001
after extensive field testing for safety; it was initially granted a
conditional license because lack of a challenge model at that time did
not allow definitive efficacy tests in horses to be conducted. Both
WNV vaccines are now fully licensed by the USDA-CVB. Safety and
efficacy data are on file.
Thomas E. Walton, DVM, PhD, ScD
USDA, APHIS, Veterinary Services
Centers for Epidemiology & Animal Health
Natural Resources Research Center, Building B
Room 2W93, Mail Stop 2W3
2150 Centre Avenue
Fort Collins, CO 80526-8117
970-494-7201; 970-472-2668 (fax)
<Thomas.e.Walton@usda.gov>
------------------------
[3]
USDA APHIS CLARIFICATION re: WNV EQUINE VACCINE: VACCINE SAFE for USE
[This FAQ is undated but appears to have been posted in 2003. It is
lightly edited for brevity. Full text on USDA APHIS website]
Some recent stories have suggested that the Fort Dodge Animal Health
WNV Vaccine approved by the USDA may cause pregnant mares to abort or
give birth to deformed foals. The misleading information in those
articles has sparked many anxious phone calls from horse owners,
veterinarians, and others involved with horses. Unfortunately, as a
result, USDA is concerned that horse owners may not use an effective
preventive measure against WNV available to them, that of vaccinating
their horses.
Horse owners should be assured that the vaccine is safe, and it should
be used as protection against WNV. Millions of doses of the vaccine
have been used since USDA's Center for Veterinary Biologics approved
its use in 2001.
The Center for Veterinary Biologics, within USDA's Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service, maintains a toll-free telephone hotline
(800-752-6255) and a mailbox on its Web site
(www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/cvb) and actively encourages veterinarians and
other vaccine consumers to report problems with vaccines. To date,
there have been a very small number of reports regarding a possible
association between the use of WNV vaccine and abortions, birth
defects, or other reproductive anomalies or failures. It does not
appear that there is a relationship between WNV vaccine use and these
reproductive problems or any other major problems. The Center and the
vaccine manufacturer will continue to collect, monitor, and track the
performance of this vaccine.
Since WNV' detection in the US in 1999, the number of horses affected
by the virus steadily continues to grow. In 2002 alone, there were
14,717 equine WNV cases. To help reduce the number of cases in 2003,
USDA recommends that horse owners not only vaccinate their animals but
implement safeguards to prevent animals' exposure to mosquitoes, which
spread the virus.
------------------------
[4]
CNN STORY: HORSE COUNTRY FACES WEST NILE 'NIGHTMARE':
CALIFORNIA HORSE OWNERS NOW REGRET IGNORING WARNINGS
Date: Sept 2, 2004
Source:
<http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/09/02/west.nile.horses.ap/index.html>
[edited for brevity]
Submitted by Ron Gardner, Cornell Pesticide Management Education
Program (PMEP)
NORCO, California (AP) -- Rowdy, a 4-year-old horse, got sick after
splashing through the Santa Ana River on a training ride. He ran a high
fever, moved feebly in his stall and just wanted to sleep -- all
symptoms of WNV. Owner Mike Polder said Rowdy only had one of the two
vaccination shots recommended to combat West Nile in horses. Two of his
other horses, 4-year-old Spirit and 9-year-old Shercon, were not
vaccinated at all and also became seriously ill.
"It was a nightmare," said Ingrid Encinas, Polder's wife, who nursed
the horses back to health with massive doses of B vitamins and aspirin.
Of her initial impression of the West Nile threat, she says: "Like a
lot of things, I thought it was just a big hullabaloo." Polder and
Encinas were not alone in discounting the risk West Nile poses to
animals. Numerous horse owners in California have failed to properly
vaccinate their animals.
"The reason the horses are getting infected is because people aren't
heeding the warnings that have been out there for more than two years
now," said Rick Wagner, vice president of the horsemen's association.
Norco, also known as "Horse Town USA" because of its many ranches,
rodeos and trails, is located in Riverside County, where 31 horses have
died this year from West Nile -- the most of any county in the state.
The mosquito-born illness has killed at least 10 people and 82 horses
so far this year in California. Across the nation, there have been more
than 350 confirmed cases among horses. ...
It costs about $50 to $70 for the two shots, which are given about four
weeks apart. By comparison, veterinarians charge $100 to put a horse
down.
The virus threat has become a hot topic in Norco, a horse-proud place
where motorists can face a $125 fine for blocking the horse trails that
pass homes throughout the city. ...
The first reported outbreak among horses occurred in the summer of 1962
in the Camargue region of France. Other major outbreaks were reported
in Morocco in 1996 and again in France in 2000.
About 1 percent of humans infected with the virus become seriously ill
or die, but it can be fatal to as many as 30 percent of all horses that
contract it, Lyle said.
About 5,000 horses were sickened last year by the virus.
In Norco, the threat to humans and horses is readily apparent. A flier
stapled to a wooden post on a bluff above the Santa Ana River reads,
"WARNING. You are entering an area known to be positive for WNV." ...
Copyright 2004 The Associated Press.
--------------------------
[5]
OREGON, US: 1ST EQUINE CASES (AUG 19 2004)
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org> ID 20040826.2387
Source: KGW news online, Aug 19 2004, byline: Antonia Giedwoyn [edited
for brevity]
<http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/
kgw_081904_news_west_nile_horses.92ea9e12.html>
Three horses in eastern Oregon tested positive for WNV, a week after a
dead crow found in Vale was confirmed to have the disease. Test results
were confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames,
Iowa.
The horses are from 2 ranches in Malheur County, near the Oregon/Idaho
border. Veterinarians were also testing several other horses from 2
other
locations in the same area. Those test results are pending.
The crow which tested positive for the virus last week was found about
12 miles from the Oregon/Idaho border. It marked Oregon's 1st sign of
the
virus, which was introduced to the US in 1999.
-------------------------
[6]
SULTANATE OF OMAN: LIMITED WNV EQUINE OUTBREAK 2003
Date: Thu 20 Nov 2003
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org> ID 20031120.2878
Source: Gulf Daily News online, Thu 10 Nov 2003 [edited]
The Sultanate of Oman issued an alert for West Nile fever following a
"limited outbreak" of West Nile fever in horses in March 2003. The
diagnosis was confirmed by the University of Pretoria in South Africa,
and a national diseases committee made up of officials from the Health,
Agriculture and Fisheries Ministries met to formulate a response.
Officials stressed that to date there have been no instances of
infection of humans in the Sultanate.
[ProMED moderator CP noted that it was not clear from this report
whether there had been additional equine cases of WNV infection since
the limited outbreak in March.]
------------------------
[7]
MOROCCO: EQUINE CASES 2003
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org> ID 20031127.2934 [edited]
Source: Office International des Epizooties (OIE), Disease Information
<http://www.oie.int/Messages/031124SLK.htm>
[Translation of information received Nov 25 2003 from Dr Hamid
Benazzou, Head, Animal Health Division, Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development, Rabat, Morocco]
Date of Report: 24 Nov 2003.
Nature of diagnosis: clinical and laboratory.
Date of initial detection of animal health incident: 18 Sep 2003.
Estimated date of first infection: 7 Sep 2003.
Number of outbreaks: 8.
Location of the outbreaks: Kenitra province, districts of Amer Seflia,
Morhane and Ouled Slama.
Total number of cases: 8 (7- to 8-year-old horses).
Total number of deaths: 5.
Diagnostic tests used: ELISA and virus neutralisation on cell culture;
virus isolation and identification.
Control measures: confinement of diseased equids;control of arthropods;
strengthening of the epidemiological surveillance of the disease in the
province of Kenitra (infected zone) and throughout the national
territory, particularly in the zones at risk.
[It was anticipated that further details would be published in the next
issue of Weekly Disease Information, available on line 28 Nov 2003
(GMT).
-----------------------------------
Compiled by:
Lois Levitan, PhD Program Leader
Environmental Risk Analysis Program (ERAP)
Department of Communication
213 Rice Hall, Cornell University
Ithaca, New York USA 14853-5601
Phone: (607) 255-4765 Fax: (607) 255-0238
Email: LCL3@cornell.edu
Web: http://environmentalrisk.cornell.edu
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WESTNILEVIRUS-L is an email discussion group for communication
and discussion about West Nile Virus, particularly regarding policy,
risk reduction and public education issues. It is moderated by
Dr. Lois Levitan, Program Leader of the Cornell University
Environmental Risk Analysis Program (ERAP).
To subscribe (or unsubscribe), send an email request with your name
and contact information to <envrisk@cornell.edu>.
To receive messages once a day in digest format, subscribers can
send an email to <listproc@cornell.edu> with message:
"set WESTNILEVIRUS-L mail digest-nomime".
Subscribers are encouraged to post to the group by sending
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the subject line and send unformatted text, without attachments.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------
Received on Thu Sep 2 15:04:58 2004
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