Confirmed cases of equine West Nile approaching 1,000

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Confirmed cases of West Nile virus in Oklahoma's horse population are approaching 1,000, with 126 deaths, but only about half the horses in the state have been vaccinated against

Monday, November 11th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Confirmed cases of West Nile virus in Oklahoma's horse population are approaching 1,000, with 126 deaths, but only about half the horses in the state have been vaccinated against the disease, veterinary experts say.

The vaccine, with each dose costing about $15 to $25, is 93 percent to 95 percent effective. Public health officials, fearing that 2003 could be the same or even worse for the West Nile virus, are urging horse owners to give every animal a two-dose regimen of vaccine _ and give a third ``booster'' shot if necessary.

Some horse owners apparently are reluctant to give their animals the vaccine.

``I've gotten a barrage of negative excuses from customers who think the vaccine's too new and too experimental, that it won't work, or it's too expensive. I humorously kept track of all of those excuses, but they aren't humorous anymore,'' said Dr. Gerald Radde, a veterinarian in Marietta.

Cases of equine West Nile have been reported in all 77 Oklahoma counties, with horse deaths in 52 counties. Horses have been infected by mosquitoes that carry the virus.

Radde said that since late September, he has vaccinated more than 1,000 horses. Two horses that died at his practice weren't vaccinated.

``People thought that since the mosquito season was over, they didn't need to get protection for their horses,'' he said. ``But they've got to know that freezing weather doesn't necessarily kill mosquitoes, and mosquitoes even can pass the virus to their offspring.''

The disease can progress rapidly in an infected animal.

When Logan County horse-farm manager Jeff Garretson saw his prized mare ``Shotgun Romance'' staggering and reacting skittishly, he knew the symptoms meant trouble.

The dark-brown, 14-year-old mare had always been a sure-footed, robust thoroughbred _ ``the cream of the crop'' at Trout Stables north of Edmond, according to Garretson.

She could fetch up to $200,000, and among her offspring is ``Maysville Slew,'' a fleet 6-year-old whose 2002 race earnings could reach $1 million.

Recognizing the warning signs of the West Nile virus, Garretson rushed the horse to an Oklahoma City large-animal clinic, where veterinarians gave the animal potent doses of anti-inflammatory medicine and intravenous fluids.

Within 72 hours, ``Shotgun Romance'' was down and thrashing helplessly, her head thumping against a wall in the clinic's stall.

She had to be euthanized.

``It's hard to tell your boss that his best broodmare is fixing to die,'' Garretson said, recalling his conversation with owner C.R. Trout.

In southern Oklahoma, West Nile killed a prominent Love County stud worth an estimated $3 million, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry reported.

That horse, 18-year-old ``Grays Starlight,'' had sired 641 foals whose race earnings total more than $7 million, said Susie Reed, manager of the Polo Ranch in Marietta.

Public health officials said the West Nile problem in Oklahoma was exacerbated by a wet summer and wet fall, leading to higher-than-normal populations of ``culex'' mosquitoes that spread the disease.