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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels September 2, 2004 Horse in Ashland put down due to West Nile By John Darling Tidings Correspondent Following the death of a horse on Butler Creek Lane from West Nile virus, Ashland area horse owners are scrambling to protect their steeds with vaccinations, which are available only through veterinarians. "I'm pretty worried and I'm having the vet come out to give shots today," said Beckie Elgin, owner of a thoroughbred about a quarter mile from the infection site. "It's very anxiety provoking," said Trish Broersma, horse owner and former director of Hope Equestrian Center, who said she was also getting the vaccinations today and calling to warn all her horse owning friends. The infected horse was tested Aug. 20 and euthanized by Dr. Tara Timpson of Crater Animal Hospital of Central Point. The clinic is holding a vaccination clinic from 4 to 8 p.m. today. The virus can infect the central nervous system of horses and cause symptoms of encephalitis. Horse owners are advised to watch for symptoms of lethargy, fever, stumbling and loss of appetite, said Jackson County environmental health officer Gary Stevens, noting that the mosquito-borne virus can also be transmitted to humans and many other mammals. Pat Super of Ashland said she was driving her three American saddle bred horses to the veterinarian today for vaccinations, which require a booster after two weeks and does not take full effect until after the booster. The shots cost $40. "The mood among horse owners until now has not been complacent, but we've felt pretty confident because it hadn't reached Oregon yet. I went last year without the inoculations. I was on a trail ride recently and about 80 percent of them had the shots so that told me it was starting to be a distinct possibility." Stevens warned that all standing water in pools, birdbaths, tires, drain gutters should be drained or changed and that people should use mosquito repellent containing the chemical DEET and wear long sleeves and pants, during the heavy mosquito hours around dawn and dusk. Watering of lawns should be reduced as that adds to standing water, he said. "Since the horse had not been out of the Rogue Valley, we know that West Nile is now in local mosquito populations, as well as birds," Stevens said. No human cases of West Nile have been reported in Oregon and the nearest one in California is in Lassen County, said Stevens. Only about 1 percent of human cases are fatal, while about 40 percent of equine cases are. Many more cases appear in the second year of the arrival of the disease. West Nile-infected horses have now been confirmed in four Oregon counties, Malheur (southeastern Oregon), Linn (Willamette Valley), Grant (north central) and Jackson. Some public health officials think human cases could appear in the state before cold weather ends the mosquito season. There's a "50-50 chance" a human case could appear here before winter, said Stevens, adding that that West Nile-infected mosquitoes could just as easily bite a human as a horse. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams