Western equine encephalomyelitis in horses in the Northern Red River Valley, 1975.
Abstract: In mid-July, 1975, western equine encephalomyelitis (WEE) virus was isolated from mosquitoes collected in flooded areas of eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota. Inasmuch as clinical manifestations of WEE are usually observed in horses before human cases of encephalitis are recognized, surveillance of equine disease was initiated. Sixty-one practicing veterinarians from the are under surveillance reported 281 cases of WEE in horses from June through September, with peak incidence in late July. The high percentage of sero-positive, clinically normal, unvaccinated horses in one region suggested that many horses had developed non-clinical infections. The efficacy of vaccines used by the practitioners appears to have been execllent, as none of the horses vaccinated before the epizootic became ill during the period of surveillance. It was concluded that data collected from routine surveillance of encephalomyelitis in horses could be used to predict epidemics of WEE.
Publication Date: 1977-06-15 PubMed ID: 873843
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- Journal Article
- Animal Health
- Animal Science
- Diagnosis
- Disease
- Disease Diagnosis
- Disease Outbreaks
- Disease Prevention
- Disease Surveillance
- Encephalomyelitis
- Epidemiology
- Equine Diseases
- Equine Health
- Horses
- Infectious Disease
- Mosquito-borne Diseases
- Public Health
- Vaccination
- Veterinary Care
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Science
- Western Equine Encephalitis
Summary
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This research article focuses on the study of the outbreak of Western Equine Encephalomyelitis (WEE) in horse populations in the Northern Red River Valley in 1975 and posits that monitoring of equine diseases can help predict future outbreaks.
Studying the Outbreak
- The study began after WEE virus was isolated from mosquitoes collected in flooded regions in Minnesota and North Dakota.
- Observations of WEE are usually seen in horses before any human cases are encountered. Therefore, it was decided to study the occurrence of the disease in horses.
- A total of 61 veterinarians reported 281 cases of WEE in horses from June to September, the most instances of the disease appearing in late July.
Discovery of Non-Clinical Infections
- One important finding was that a large percentage of horses in a specific region, despite being clinically normal and unvaccinated, tested positive for WEE.
- This finding suggests many horses had developed non-clinical infections, which means they were infected with the virus but did not show any signs of illness.
Role of Vaccines
- The study’s findings also highlight the effectiveness of vaccines. None of the horses vaccinated before the epizootic—a term for disease outbreak in animal populations—fell ill during the surveillance period.
Predicting Future WEE Outbreaks
- The research concludes that regular surveillance data of encephalomyelitis in horses can be used to predict potential future WEE epidemics.
- This knowledge could potentially help in implementing preventive measures during periods of high risk to avoid further disease spread.
Cite This Article
APA
Potter ME, Currier RW, Pearson JE, Harris JC, Parker RL.
(1977).
Western equine encephalomyelitis in horses in the Northern Red River Valley, 1975.
J Am Vet Med Assoc, 170(12), 1396-1399.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Encephalitis Virus, Western Equine
- Encephalomyelitis, Equine / epidemiology
- Encephalomyelitis, Equine / immunology
- Encephalomyelitis, Equine / veterinary
- Female
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / immunology
- Horses
- Humans
- Male
- Minnesota
- North Dakota
- Vaccination / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 6 times.- Azar SR, Campos RK, Bergren NA, Camargos VN, Rossi SL. Epidemic Alphaviruses: Ecology, Emergence and Outbreaks. Microorganisms 2020 Aug 1;8(8).
- Baxter VK, Heise MT. Immunopathogenesis of alphaviruses. Adv Virus Res 2020;107:315-382.
- Burke CW, Froude JW, Miethe S, Hülseweh B, Hust M, Glass PJ. Human-Like Neutralizing Antibodies Protect Mice from Aerosol Exposure with Western Equine Encephalitis Virus. Viruses 2018 Mar 24;10(4).
- Komar N, Panella NA, Boyce E. Exposure of domestic mammals to West Nile virus during an outbreak of human encephalitis, New York City, 1999. Emerg Infect Dis 2001 Jul-Aug;7(4):736-8.
- Sellers RF, Maarouf AR. Weather factors in the prediction of western equine encephalitis epidemics in Manitoba. Epidemiol Infect 1993 Oct;111(2):373-90.
- Sellers RF, Maarouf AR. Impact of climate on western equine encephalitis in Manitoba, Minnesota and North Dakota, 1980-1983. Epidemiol Infect 1988 Dec;101(3):511-35.
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