Ridecamp: Re: [RC] WNV Calif. A different point of view

beth glover wrote:

This weekend I was at work at the hospital. One of the on-call physicians came in to our work room. I was sitting with two doctors and two other nurses. The doctor excitedly said.."Did you all hear about the suspected case of West Nile Virus--it may already be in California!".

With relief I wiped my brow and replied,"Whew! I am so glad I got my horses vaccinated..they are all done!"

The doctors all looked at me...."Uh, there is a vaccine for horses?"

"Yes, and it's supposedly a very good one. I am so glad that I don't have to worry."

Not necessarily true. We went out Monday morning to find a horse that had
his vaccine and booster last Nov and his booster this Aug with WN.  My vet
is treating three right now that were vaccinated. You do still have to watch
for the symptoms and get on it right away if you see them. .

"But people can still get it".

"But my HORSES are vaccinated. I can wear bug spray.  Oh...why isn't there a human vaccine, if so many horses have been successfully vaccinated?"

"Regulations. The FDA"

"Why? The animal testing is all done."

"What animal testing?"

The animal testing requirement was waived for the vaccine - will be done
later. 
    
So for anyone that has vaccinated, you are probably safer than if you had
not vaccinated, but it is not 100%. In fact given the number of incidence
of horses (and people) who carry titer and have shown no signs, the effectively
may not be all that good. The effectively numbers being given are just crude
estimates. The cases tend to be milder if they have the vaccine and get it,
but they can still get it. If they do show signs the faster you get drugs
in them to minimize the encephalitis the milder the reaction will be. So
even if your horse is vaccinated you still need to watch for the symptoms.
Don't be lulled into a false sense of security because they have been vaccinated.
    
    
Ego will be fine and according to the vet by the time the results are back
from the lab (two weeks) to verify he has it, he will be well with 100% recovery.
    
Truman