West Nile virus kills N.M. horses

HOBBS, N.M. (KRQE) - The deadly west Nile outbreak is now here in New Mexico, and while humans have been infected, only horses have died.

Two men in the state are infected, and so are at least five horses.

There have been 17 deaths just across the border in Texas. Health officials think birds from there may be bringing the infection here.

Hobbs veterinarian Dr. Mary Cap has given at least 60 West Nile vaccinations just this week. Two horses in Lea County tested positive for West Nile, and Cap is positive a third horse had it, too.

"The owners call and say that their horses are walking like they're drunk," Cap said.  "That's a typical scenario or phone call we might get from a customer that has a horse with West Nile."

Cap said one of the infected yearlings developed neurological symptoms quickly.

"Sometimes they hit fences, sometimes they lay down and can't get up; that's when it becomes life threatening," said Cap.

One horse Cap responded to had to be euthanized, while the other is recovering. A third horse across from that same property Cap suspects had the virus died this week.

New Mexico Department of Health officials also confirmed a horse from Santa Fe County had to be euthanized due to suffering severe neurological complications from the virus.

Cap said one cause for hot spots, or areas where there's a high population of mosquitoes that carry the west Nile virus, is standing water. An area where crops may be watered excessively could pose a threat to people and animals around it, Cap said.

Neighboring Texas is one of the hardest hit areas. Seventeen people have died there from the virus, and Dallas has declared a state of emergency.

In New Mexico, two men have contracted the disease; both are home recovering.

Dr. Paul Ettestad, of the New Mexico Department of Health told KRQE News 13 birds are also contributing to the growing number of diseased mosquitoes.

"As the west Nile virus cycles between mosquitoes and birds, you start to get a build up in the mosquito population, a higher and higher percentage of them are positive for it," explained Ettestad.

Cap suspects that birds carrying the disease are coming into New Mexico from Texas, because dead birds have been found near the Texas-New Mexico border in Lea County where confirmed west Nile cases were found.

Health officials said there are no west Nile vaccinations for humans, so people need to take precautions too.

Some of the best defenses are using bug repellant, and staying indoors during dawn and dusk.

"Everybody in the state everywhere needs to know that when there's mosquitoes out," said Ettestad.  "Some are going to be positive for west Nile virus."

Ettestad said the two men who have west Nile are from Bernalillo and San Miguel counties. The other horses with west Nile are from Doña Ana and Santa Fe counties.

Ettestad said mosquitoes have also been tested positive for the disease in the South Valley, North Valley and midtown in Albuquerque.