Ridecamp: Re: [RC] WNV - vaccinated horse death

> I seem to remember Howard asking if there were any deaths in vaccinated
> horses- my husband is the NY state vet in this area, and receives info
> from many places.  This is part of an email dated 8/27/02 from the
>
>     Pennsylvania Dept of Agriculture Emergency Management and
>     Information Network:
>
> "*A second equine case has been reported in PA; a pony in Mifflin
> County was euthanized last week due to neurologic signs and
> pre-existing arthritis.  The pony was serologically positive on IgM at
> NVSL, and was reportedly advanced in age and reported to have been
> vaccinated according to the vaccine manufacturer's recommendation for
> WNV."

Don't forget that NO vaccine has a 100% efficacy rate--there are always
those individuals who will not respond to a given vaccine by mounting an
appropriate immune response.  In addition, those individuals may well be
the most immunologically incompetent in a given group, and hence also more
apt to show symptoms and succumb to the disease as well.  At this time,
the efficacy of WNV vaccine is not entirely known--although I've seen
various numbers over 90% thrown around from various sources.  That's not
all that bad.  But the fact remains that there WILL be a small percentage
of vaccinated animals that are still susceptible--doesn't mean that there
is anything wrong with the vaccine per se, but just illustrates the
biological reality that not all immune systems are created equal.
Heidi



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
 Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
 Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=