Due to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cutting support for California’s West Nile Surveillance Program by 40% in early August, the California Department of Public Health has been forced to reduce or eliminate many components of the program, including Equine West Nile Surveillance Testing.
Horse owners to pay for West Nile Virus testing
Due to the CDC cutting support for California’s West Nile Surveillance Program, the California Department of Public Health has been forced to eliminate free Equine West Nile Surveillance Testing.
© 2013 by April Raine
Effective immediately, WNV serologic testing of clinically affected horses at the California Animal Health and Food Safety (CAHFS) Laboratory will no longer be free of charge. Practitioners will be charged by the CAHFS laboratory for the WNV tests.
You can contact CAHFS for pricing information at 530-752-8700. By law, laboratories and veterinarians are still required to report WNV cases to the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), and CDFA will continue to report any significant changes in prevalence to the public.
CDFA recommends that horses showing signs consistent with WNV continue to be tested for this disease and that veterinarians continue to encourage clients to vaccinate horses for WNV.
In 2012, California confirmed twenty-two (22) horses positive for West Nile Virus (WNV). Only one (1) of the positive horses was vaccinated for WNV. Positive horses were located in thirteen (13) counties: Butte, Calaveras, Fresno (3), Glenn, Kern (2), Madera, Merced, Sacramento (2), San Joaquin (2), Shasta (5), Stanislaus, Yolo, and Yuba. Eight of the positive horses were euthanized.
The 2012 incidence summary of WNV in unvaccinated California horses serves as a reminder for recommending incorporation of annual WNV vaccination in equine herd health plans.