Can a horse infected with West Nile virus infect horses in neighboring stalls?
No. There is no documented evidence that West Nile virus is transmitted between horses. However, horses with suspected West Nile virus should be isolated from mosquito bites, if at all possible. My horse is vaccinated against eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), western equine encephalitis (WEE), and Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE). Will these vaccines protect my horse against West Nile virus infection? No. EEE, WEE, and VEE belong to another family of viruses for which there is no cross-protection. How long will a horse infected with West Nile virus be infectious? We do not know if an infected horse can be infectious (i.e., cause mosquitoes feeding on it to become infected). However, previously published data suggest that the virus is detectable in the blood for only a few days. What is the treatment for a horse infected with West Nile virus? Should it be destroyed? There is no reason to destroy a horse just because it has been infected with West Nile virus. Data suggest that most
