West Nile in Frederick, MD

From the Maryland Department of Agriculture:

WNV: A 2 year-old pony at a Frederick County farm is the state's first probable WNV equine case of 2011. The pony's onset was Sept. 26 and clinical signs included ataxia, depression, staggering, and muscle fasciculations. The pony presented with a mildly elevated temperature, which gradually decreased over the next few days. The pony had no prior vaccination history for WNV or EEE, but was previously vaccinated against rabies. No travel history was noted, although other horses did regularly come and go from the property. A serum specimen tested positive at 1:400 dilution via IgM-capture ELISA at the Virginia Dept of Agriculture Animal Health Laboratory. The pony was treated with Acyclovir, DMSO, and Marquis and has since made a nearly full recovery. No other illness was re-ported in other animals on the farm.

In addition to the probable equine WNV infection, Maryland has also reported: 19 human WNV cases, 17 WNV-positive mosquito pools (including 11 reported by the Department of Defense), six WNV-positive birds, and three mosquito pools positive for Cache Valley virus.

Even though West Nile has decreased in incidence, it is still with us, it is worth noting that the pony was unvaccinated.

Horse dewormers and dogs - a bad combination

Common dewormers, particularly ivermectin (Eqvalan,Zimectrin) and moxidectin (Quest, Quest Plus) are toxic to dogs and cats in surprisingly small quantities. Symptoms include blindness, unsteadiness, inability to walk , and even death. There is no specific antidote but most will recover with supportive care. The active drugs in both are used in these species therapeutically but at much smaller doses than are in even a drop of dewormer. Collies and collie type dogs such as Aussies are even more susceptible. Do not allow dogs to eat horse dewormer that has been spit out during attempted administration, do not leave unopened packages where a curious puppy could chew on them, and dispose of the used dose syringes in a secure manner.

Equine Veterinary Exhibition at NIH

A rainy day project:

NLM announces new exhibition on the history of horse veterinary medicine

From July 11 through October 7, the National Library of Medicine, a component of the National Institutes of Health, is hosting a new exhibition, "From Craft to Profession: The Transition from Horse Farrier to Professional Veterinarian," in the NLM History of Medicine Reading Room, Building 38, on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Md. This exhibition showcases original illustrated manuscripts and early printed books from the Library's collections featuring the care and treatment of horses over the past five centuries.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/news/hmd_exhibit_horse_vet.html

AAEP White Paper on Wild Horses

While this will not satisfy people interested in alternatives to capture, it is a comprehensive look at the present methods of capture and subsequent treatment of wild horses and burros. It is worth noting that with the downturn in the economy, the adoption of wild horses has dropped and many are being maintained in a semi wild state for their lifetime. http://www.aaep.org/images/files/AAEP%20Report%20on%20the%20BLM%20Wild%20Horse%20&%20Burro%20Program%20Final.pdf

Infectious Disease Update

Eastern Equine Encephalitis has been reported in Wisconsin and North Carolina. A case of West Nile Encephalitis has been reported in California. These are sporadic outbreaks which do not spread from horse to horse and will probably always be with us. Vaccination is protective.

Forty horses on an Arkansas farm died or were euthanized due Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA). The disease is rare but if a positive case is on a farm unnoticed the results can be devastating.

University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Open House

The University of Maryland, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources’ (AGNR) Open House will be held on Saturday, October 1, 2011, from 10:00 am. – 3:00 p.m., at the Central Maryland Research and Education Center – Clarksville Facility, 4240 Folly Quarter Road, Ellicott City, in Howard County, Maryland.  It’s FREE and open to the 
public – rain or shine.

Prepare for a day of fun and learning for the whole family – regardless of age! Interactive and educational displays will show the wide array of programs AGNR has to offer. From formal instruction in the classroom to informal instruction in the community, and from research in the field to the laboratory, attendees will find the College is so much more than traditional agriculture.

See the horses (our Equine Rotational Grazing Demonstration Site is located here!), cows, chicks, and turtles...discover the wide variety of programs for 4-H youth...make gummy bears...take a hay wagon farm  tour...visit displays and exhibits on everything from food safety to environmental research...participate in numerous hands-on activities...get a glimpse of what our students are doing...talk with an AGNR representative...and get your plant questions answered by a Master Gardener!

Passports are the way to go when there is so much for kids to see and do - get all of the stations punched on the passport and get a prize. Learning has never been so much fun!

Visit WWW.AGNROPENHOUSE.UMD.EDU or call 301-596-9330 for more information.

Please forward this to your family, friends, and community groups. It's a great way to give them insight into what we do and how all the components in the College work together to serve the citizens of Maryland and beyond! 

New lab test for Lyme Disease at Cornell

Cornell has announced a new test for Lyme disease in horses and dogs.  http://ahdc.vet.cornell.edu/news/lyme.cfm    This is a step forward and is probably superior to other available tests but will not resolve all of the ambiguity involved in testing for Lyme disease in horses.