Horses are probably the single most over vaccinated species. Most horses are vaccinated at least twice yearly for a multitude of diseases for which they are at little risk. Also duration of immunity for equine vaccines have yet to be established. I can tell you that from the titers I have run on my equine patients, the major equine vaccines are showing immunity that goes well beyond a single year, and certainly far beyond the 6 month intervals commonly being employed. Listed below is the USDA report on the incidence of West Nile, Eastern and Western Encephalitis viruses.
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Cumulative Number of Equine Cases, 2009:
Click on the State name to view county-level information
This information was obtained from State Veterinarians and the ArboNET reporting system. If this information is not accurate, please contact us. More Information:
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As these statistics planely show, the risk of West Nile, and Eastern and Western Encephalitis virus exposure is extremely low, to the point of being negligable. If your horse suffers from any form of chronic disease: insulin resistance, cushings, laminitis, copd, etc; think long and hard before you subject them to unnecessary vaccines. For more information on keeping a healthy horse visit the following links: www.holistichorsekeeping.com and www.harmanyequine.com.
