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Filly in county tests positive for West Nile
By JAMIE JONES, Times Staff Writer A horse in northwest Hernando County has tested positive for West Nile virus, just days after two Citrus County horses also tested positive for the mosquito-borne virus. Al Gray of the Hernando County Health Department said a 4-month-old filly tested positive for the virus but is doing fine. He said he could not release the name or address of the horse's owner because of confidentiality. Gray said horses typically are vaccinated at 4 months old and the filly caught the virus just before her scheduled vaccinations. The filly is the first horse in Hernando County to test positive for West Nile this year. Last year, two horses tested positive. One died and one survived, Gray said. Typically, infected horses have a 30 to 40 percent survival rate, he said. Symptoms include confusion and staggering. A crow found 5 miles west of Brooksville tested positive for the virus on Aug. 9. Last year, county health officials tested 285 birds, and eight had West Nile, Gray said. So far this year, the county has tested 60 birds, Gray said. Birds must be tested within 24 hours of death to detect the virus in heart tissue. Gray said his employees are finding infected species at about the same pace as they did last year. One human case of West Nile has been reported in Florida this year from Sumter County. Unlike other nearby counties such as Sumter and Marion, Hernando County is not under a medical alert for West Nile virus. However, to reduce the risk of exposure to a mosquito-borne illness, the Health Department recommends avoiding outdoor activities at dusk and dawn, removing stagnant water from yards, wearing long shirts and using lots of bug spray. West Nile virus is carried by mosquitoes, and although it is found primarily in birds, it can affect horses and people. Mosquitoes transmit the virus from animal to animal. Symptoms can include headache, fever, fatigue, dizziness, weakness and confusion.
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From today's Hernando Times Editorial Letters |
