Horse owners urged to watch for West Nile virus

The Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District warned horse owners Wednesday to watch their animals for signs of the West Nile virus after a sentinel chicken in Cloverdale tested positive for the disease’s antibodies.

The district keeps flocks of chickens in Marin and Sonoma counties to track and control the spread of West Nile, a mosquito-borne disease that is spread by the bite of the insects that have fed on infected birds. To date, 12 dead birds and four mosquito samples have tested positive for the virus in Sonoma County. The chicken, near Asti Road and Citrus Fair Drive in Cloverdale, is the first in the county to have been shown to be infected.

District officials said mosquito activity typically is highest between July and October. During these months, horses are most at risk for contracting West Nile, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

Signs that a horse is infected with West Nile may include fever; sudden lack of coordination, especially in the rear limbs; general weakness; drooping lips; lip smacking; grinding teeth; hypersensitivity to touch or sound; and inability to get up off the ground.

You can reach Staff Writer Elizabeth M. Cosin at 521-5276 or elizabeth.cosin@pressdemocrat.com.