The State Veterinarian's office has confirmed Delaware’s 2017’s first case of West Nile Virus in a horse.
An 11-year-old mare in Kent County has been confirmed to have had West Nile Virus.
The horse was not vaccinated against West Nile and was put down earlier this month. It’s the first horse-related case in Delaware since 2015.
The State Veterinarian’s Office says horses should be vaccinated for both West Nile and Eastern Equine Encephalitis or EEE.
West Nile and EEE are transmitted via mosquito bite. It cannot be directly passed between horses or from horses to humans, though people can contract both diseases.
Officials urge horse owners to call a veterinarian if they show personality changes, signs of weakness and wobbling, or stop eating.
