West Nile confirmed in Dog
Published Oct 1 2002 12:00:00:000AM
Vet confirms Scottsbluff dog had West Nile virus
GERING, Neb. (AP) - The number of animal cases of West Nile virus in
Nebraska continues to rise, and now includes a 5-year-old golden
retriever,
a local veterinarian said.
The dog recovered from the West Nile virus within two days of being
treated
with fluids and antibiotics, said Gering veterinarian Jerry Upp.
Its owners, from Scottsbluff, brought the dog in with a high
temperature
and sore muscles. It also had experienced some behavioral changes, he
said.
It is among the first confirmed case of West Nile virus in dogs. At
least
two dogs in Illinois have had the disease.
The virus was detected when blood samples were sent to labs to rule
out
another illness, Upp said. Another lab test confirmed the presence of
West
Nile.
This rare diagnosis is not something that should cause worry for dog
owners. In fact, Upp said he would be surprised if they saw another
case.
"People should just be aware of it and avoid taking their dogs out in
the
evenings when more mosquitoes are present," he said.
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture also said Monday the number of
horses with the disease has climbed to 1,008. All have been reported
since
Aug. 6.
Scotts Bluffs County has the most equine cases with 88, more than
double
the 41 reported cases in second-place Douglas County. Holt County had
40
cases.
One of the state's four suspected human deaths of the virus was of a
Scotts
Bluff County resident. The other suspected deaths were in Saline,
Lancaster
and Buffalo counties.
Sixty-three people have been found to be presumptively positive for
West
Nile virus in Nebraska as of Thursday, the Nebraska Department of
Health
and Human Services said. Two cases have been confirmed by the Centers
for
Disease Control.
West Nile virus is spread by the bite of a mosquito that has fed on
infected animals. Most people bitten by an infected mosquito never
get
sick, and most of the rest see only flu-like symptoms. A small
percentage
of people contract encephalitis, a potentially fatal brain infection.
People most likely to become seriously ill from the virus people are
over
50, the elderly and people with weak immune systems.
