Author: Administrator
By Alice Collins / Jump Media
The warm late summer of 2024 has paved the way for more mosquitos and heralded the start of West Nile Virus (WNV) and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) season for both horses and humans. WNV and EEE are both equine encephalitis viruses spread by infected mosquitos. They can cause severe brain inflammation and neurological issues in humans and horses and can be fatal in unvaccinated or under-vaccinated equine populations.
With almost daily cases of WNV in horses being reported in several U.S. states throughout August 2024, plus news of humans contracting the rare but extremely serious EEE virus, people are rightfully concerned about how to protect their animals and themselves from both WNV and EEE. The Wellington, Florida-based Palm Beach Equine Center (PBEC)advises on what you can do to minimize the risk of exposure and infection.
WNV and EEE by the Numbers
Both WNV and EEE circulate in the environment between mosquitoes and birds and are spread to horses and humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. However, even though they get sick, humans and horses are dead-end hosts that do not, in turn, spread these viruses back to mosquitoes that bite them.
Since 1999, more than 27,600 U.S. horses have been confirmed to have WNV, with an estimated fatality rate of 30-40%. With yearly activity of around 300 equine cases in the U.S., WNV is now considered endemic, persisting at a consistent level with fairly predictable rates of infection and spread.
EEE, also known as sleeping sickness, causes inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. Mortality can exceed 90% in unvaccinated horses and is lower in horses with partial protection or previous vaccination. Death usually occurs within two to three days of the onset of signs. Horses that survive may have permanent neurologic deficits.
While the diseases sound alarming, the good news is that vaccination is a very effective barrier for your horse. EEE and WNV inoculations are considered core vaccines by the American Association of Equine Practitioners. Annual injections for all horses, preferably in the spring before mosquito season, are strongly recommended. Initial vaccination is followed in four to six weeks with a booster, with yearly revaccination thereafter. Horses living in areas with mosquitos year-round may need EEE vaccinations two or three times a year for full protection.
Clinical Signs
The clinical signs of the two illnesses are almost identical, and can include:
- Depression and anorexia without fever when initially infected
- Mild low-grade fever in about 25% of affected horses with WVN
- Moderate to high fever in horses with EEE
- Lack of appetite
- Lethargy/drowsiness
- Neurologic signs, the onset of which are frequently sudden and progressive
- Periods of hyperexcitability, apprehension and/or drowsiness
- Fine tremors of the face and neck muscles
- Cranial nerve paralysis — facial paralysis and weakness of the tongue are very common
- Head tilt, droopy lip, muzzle deviation
- Weakness, ataxia, and lack of coordination in one or more limbs
- Complete paralysis of one or more limbs
- Colic
- Inability to stand
Diagnosis and Treatment
A veterinarian will diagnose both WNV and EEE by testing the horse’s serum, a component of whole blood. There is no cure for either virus, but horses showing clinical signs are given supportive care.
Prevention
Aside from vigilant vaccination suitable for the horse’s environment, there are other measures owners can take to prevent infection from both WNV and EEE. They include frequent use of insect repellent, which should be reapplied after rain, keeping horses stabled at night, minimizing standing water, and eliminating areas in which water can collect, such as leaf piles or old tires.
PBEC President Dr. Scott Swerdlin advises, “We can vaccinate against all these diseases, and it’s really important to remember that it’s not just the first set; it takes at least two injections for the horse to develop immunity.”
Swerdlin also points out that horses traveling into an affected region can be put at far greater risk, adding, “People who bring horses to the U.S. from South America or Europe are exposing them to different diseases than they are accustomed to in their native country. They should vaccinate the horses immediately on arrival and then, after the first vaccine, every 12 months. In Florida, where there is a huge mosquito population, we recommend vaccinating against EEE and WNV, as well as rhinovirus, every six months for maximum protection.”
There are no approved human vaccines for WNV or EEE. Personal protective measures include using mosquito repellents, wearing long-sleeved shirts tucked into long pants, and limiting time outdoors from dusk to dawn. Using air conditioning and installing screens further decreases the risk of exposure.
For additional questions, veterinary assistance, or to book your horse’s vaccinations, call Palm Beach Equine Clinic at 561-793-1599.
By Alice Collins / Jump Media
Originally from Virginia, Mackenzie Harmon completed her undergraduate degree at Lynn University in Boca Raton, FL, in May of 2023. Later that year, she joined the Palm Beach Equine Clinic (PBEC) team as a veterinary technician for Dr. Tyler Davis.
What is your background with horses?
I have a big background with horses. My dad bought a farm in 2007, got a few horses, and had my sister and I start riding. I was seven at the time, and I’ve been riding ever since. I always took every opportunity I could to watch and learn as much as I could, whether that was from a vet, a farrier, or a barn manager. In 2020, I worked as a barn manager for a few weeks and really enjoyed that.
When and why did you decide you wanted to become a vet tech?
When I finished school, I was torn between going to nursing school and being an ER nurse, a scrub nurse in the OR, or becoming a vet. I looked for a job as a nurse for months and was unsuccessful, so I decided to apply to an equine hospital and see if I would get a position. When I got the job at the equine clinic, I figured it would help me decide whether I loved working with animals and wanted to become a vet, or if I hated it and wanted to become a nurse.
Originally, I didn’t think I had enough experience to be a vet tech so I applied to just be a vet tech assistant, cleaning stalls and helping hold horses if the techs were too busy. After doing that for a few weeks, I realized I was over-qualified and should have just been a tech. I worked as a vet tech assistant at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, and after being there for a few months I got a job offer from Palm Beach Equine Clinic to be a hospital technician. As soon as I started I realized it was way more up my alley.
What does a typical day look like for you at Palm Beach Equine Clinic?
I currently work as an ambulatory technician, so my days are spent in the car traveling to different farms to treat horses. My boss, Dr. Davis, specializes in dentistry so we float a lot of teeth. During the winter season, it’s pretty much non-stop and we generally put in 10-hour days or more. The summertime slows down a little bit, but there are still some days when we go non-stop. If we aren’t doing dentals, you can find us doing sports medicine work, such as injecting joints and taking x-rays.
What aspects of equine medicine interest you most, and what types of cases do you find most rewarding?
Even though I’ve been working with vets for about a year, I’m still not sure what aspect interests me most. I find surgery really cool, but I also enjoy the sports medicine side of things. I find every case rewarding in its own way because we are always there to help the horses feel better and perform their best.
What is one of the most interesting cases you have worked on?
There was a horse who kept coming to the clinic due to not eating. We started by scoping him for ulcers and then treating him for ulcers. Several weeks later the same horse came back because he still wasn’t eating, so we pulled out all of his incisor teeth. After doing that, the horse has been thriving and is now eating like crazy.
What’s your favorite part of the job?
It’s hard to pick just one part. I am such an animal lover, so I just enjoy being with the horses. I also love it when we’re able to fix a problem that a horse might be having and then seeing them thrive later on.
When not at PBEC, what do you enjoy doing?
When I am not working, you can find me at my own barn riding my horse, or at Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center, helping staff with lessons, teaching lessons myself, or schooling their horses.
To learn more about the full range of services on offer at Palm Beach Equine Clinic, call 561-793-1599 or visit https://equineclinic.com/.
By Alice Collins / Jump Media
Wellington, FL – Miss Miami is one of Miami’s longest-serving and most-valued police horses, having joined the team 21 years ago and been through six police chiefs. In the early spring of 2024 at the age of 26, Miami Police Department (PD) had begun to wind down her workload and prepare her for retirement. However, on April 10 Miss Miami looked uncomfortable, and officers called their veterinarian.
“She was not feeling good, and it looked like colic,” explained Lieutenant Redondo of Miami PD. “The vet came and saw she was in distress and said we’d probably have to do surgery. They couldn’t do it and referred us to Palm Beach Equine Clinic [PBEC].”
Miss Miami was driven straight to PBEC in Wellington, FL, where the team carried out a physical exam, blood work, nasogastric intubation, an ultrasound, abdominocentesis, and a rectal exam. Their findings were consistent with a surgical lesion, and she was diagnosed with a strangulating lipoma, a small, benign, fatty tumor that develops within the abdomen and occasionally develops a long, string-like stalk. The lipoma and stalk can wrap around a part of the horse’s digestive system, cutting off the blood supply and resulting in death of that section of intestine.
On the day she arrived at PBEC, Miss Miami was taken to emergency surgery after an initial evaluation and operated on by Dr. Weston Davis DVM, DACVS, who ended up performing a resection and anastomosis, which is where a part of intestine is removed and the two ends are rejoined.
“Miss Miami was routinely induced under general anesthesia; the abdomen was clipped and aseptically prepared for surgery,” explained Davis, who is a native of South Florida and whose father was also a veterinarian. “A midline incision was created, and exploration revealed a large segment of mid-jejunum [the middle part of the small intestine] that appeared to have been strangulated by the stalk of a strangulating lipoma.”
The portion of the small intestine affected was no longer viable, so Davis removed the two-foot long segment of jejunum. Miss Miami’s abdominal incision was then closed with absorbable sutures in the deeper layers and stainless-steel staples in the skin.
Miss Miami was given intravenous fluid therapy including pain relief, electrolytes, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, and gastroprotectants. She recovered from the anesthesia without incident, and a large abdominal support bandage was applied in recovery.
She was not yet out of the woods, however. Miss Miami’s forelimb digital pulses were mildly elevated in the first 36 hours after the operation. She was managed with digital cryotherapy, and frog supports were applied to both front feet. Her appetite was also diminished following surgery, and she was fed via nasogastric intubation until her appetite began to increase. At that point, her rations were given normally, and the quantity was gradually increased. Her digital pulses returned to normal.
After a week at PBEC, Miss Miami was bright, with a good appetite, passing normal manure, and walking comfortably. She was ready to be released back into the care of Miami PD. Their local veterinarian oversaw the removal of Miss Miami’s stitches a week later, and her belly bandage was reapplied. The Miami PD team was also given four daily exercises by PBEC for Miss Miami to start at home two weeks after surgery to help support her recovery: barrel lifts, butt tucks, stepping backwards, and walking over poles.
“She would have died without the surgery,” stated Redondo. “She has recovered really well. She is still here with us in Miami, but we have started the paperwork to retire her to farmland up in North Florida. Everybody around here knows her and loves her; she’s one of our most famous horses. She’s been here longer than I have, and she’s one of the horses that we liked to use on the regular. Having a horse that already knows the job and is used to all the traffic and loud noises makes it easy, so we are going to miss her.
“The fact that the department agreed to take care of a horse who is old or not being ridden anymore says a lot, and the fact that PBEC took care of her was so great,” he concluded.
PBEC’s kindness and swift action ensured that Miss Miami will now be able to enjoy the retirement she deserves after her years of loyal service. If you or your veterinarian would like to learn more about Palm Beach Equine Clinic and how it can help your horse, call 561-793-1599 or visit www.EquineClinic.com.