Seneca County, N.Y. — A horse was euthanized in Seneca County after testing positive for West Nile virus, county health officials said Tuesday.
This was the first-ever confirmed case of a horse having the virus in the county, officials said.
The horse, which lived in the southern portion of the county, had to be euthanized, Andrew Rude, a public health educator for the county, told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard.
Health officials advise people to wear protective clothing, use insect repellent and limit outdoor activities between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active. Officials also suggest that people eliminate standing water around their home and talk with veterinarians about vaccinations and mosquito control for their animals.
“While West Nile virus cases in horses do not pose a direct threat to people, they signal that there is enough of the virus present in our environment for mosquitoes to potentially transmit the illness to residents,” said Scott King, the county director of public health.
West Nile is potentially deadly, but fatal cases are rare. Most people don’t experience any symptoms, and many others may have mild symptoms like fever, headache, body ache, skin rash or swollen glands, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
About 1,300 people develop severe illness that affects their central nervous system, and more than 130 people die from West Nile each year, according to the CDC.
“Residents should take precautions to protect both themselves and their animals from mosquito bites when they head outdoors to enjoy warm weather,” King said.
Oswego and Onondaga counties sprayed this year to kill mosquitoes after tests found Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile virus in each county.