Horse Owners And Vets Must Be Alert For West Nile Virus

PRESS RELEASE

27 April, 2004

West Nile Virus, an encephalitis disease affecting horses, humans and birds and spread by mosquitoes, is threatening to engulf the whole of the USA – and there is now a risk that the disease could be found in Europe and the UK, too. A new information resource on the virus and the disease is now available from Wildlife Information Network (WIN) an international charity based in the UK.

Horses exported from the UK to the USA are vulnerable to infection, and are at risk in regions where the virus is known to be present - which is throughout most of mainland USA.

WNV infection should be suspected in any horse with rapid onset of neurological disease that has recently visited an area where West Nile virus is active. Although the virus cycles mainly between birds and mosquitoes, when horses and man are bitten by infected mosquitoes they can become seriously ill. In horses the infection may cause a wide range of signs, from no clinical signs to severe neurological abnormalities. Nearly one in three horses (up to 62.5%) with clinical signs either die or have to be put down – and those that survive the disease can suffer long-term problems.

Although vaccines are not yet licensed for use in the UK, they are being used heavily in the USA and all owners and vets shipping horses to and from the USA should be aware of West Nile Virus and take steps to minimise the risk of their animals becoming infected in regions where WNV is active.

The new Wildpro encyclopaedic volume "West Nile Virus" has been published by WIN to aid recognition, diagnosis and control (including vaccination) of this disease.

This volume forms part of a series covering emerging infectious diseases, and the health and management of wildlife. This volume was produced in collaboration with the US Government's USGS-National Wildlife Health Center and is recognised as the definitive complete information resource on West Nile Virus. It is fully referenced and peer-reviewed. The Wildpro "West Nile Virus" volume is available to members of WIN on the Web-based electronic encyclopaedia through www.wildlifeinformation.org and on CD-ROM for off-line and field work.

Ends

Issued on behalf of Wildlife Information Network by Woodcote Communications.

For further information please contact

A copy of the CD-ROM is available to Editors for review purposes on request from Iain Boardman.

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. Wildlife Information Network is a UK Registered Charity that provides information on wildlife and emerging infectious diseases.
2. Wildpro is the Electronic Encyclopaedia and Library published by the Wildlife Information Network (WIN) and is made available through its Website www.wildlifeinformation.org to members of WIN: professionals and decision-makers worldwide. It is a user-friendly system providing cross-disciplinary information. Volumes are made available on both a password controlled Website and CD-ROM.
3. The West Nile Virus volume runs from a central flowchart divided into sections. The description of West Nile Virus (WNV) disease includes incubation, time course, persistence and long-term effects, morbidity, mortality, life stages affected and susceptibility. Clinical signs and pathology are covered, along with diagnosis, treatment, vaccination and environmental and population control measures.
   
   The section on the virus itself includes its structure and diversity, detection and identification techniques, host species and vectors, and infection of humans, horses and other mammals, birds and reptiles. Its life cycle and transmission are explained, along with means of inactivating it.
   
   A section on mosquitoes describes many species which are known to be vectors of WNV and the types of habitat in which they breed. Data is given on insecticides and the repellent, DEET, including alternative names, chemical formulae and formulations, uses and effects on the environment and non-target species.
   
   The disease management section covers education and communication, the clinical approach to individual human and animal cases and assessing whether WNV is a threat in a particular location and what response is appropriate.
   
   Surveillance of mosquitoes, animals and humans is considered, as well as disease prevention and control measures, including habitat management, chemical and biological control, personal protection and vaccination.
   
   Supporting the volume are a Directory of organisations providing information on WNV in North America, an Electronic Library of full-text documents, and video clips of bird necropsy and blood sampling.
4. Individual membership of the Wildlife Information Network charity costs £31.50 including VAT and P&P ($US52.50/€52.50) to include unlimited single-user access to the password-controlled Web-based electronic encyclopaedia and the electronic library, plus one CD-ROM of the subscriber's choice from the published list.
   
   Corporate or institutional membership allows multi-user access to the Website and includes a 'starter-pack' selection of every CD-ROM published by the charity and copies of all new volumes published during the period of membership. The subscription costs £470 per annum (€770) including VAT and postage for EU countries, or USD $675 including postage for the USA and rest of the world. It also entitles holders of institutional subscriptions to nominate a 'sister' institution in a developing country, or 25 individual recipients, who will similarly benefit from full membership of the WIN charity.
   
   For further information see www.wildlifeinformation.org.

Applications should be made to info@wildlifeinformation.org.