Ridecamp: Re: [RC] WNV

I don't believe the data show that it travels from horse to horse.  It is 
different from EIA which also does NOT travel directly from horse to horse, 
in that birds are infected.  

In EIA, the mosquito is the vector, and there is not an animal that can be 
bitten, travel long distances, then be bitten by another mosquito, thus 
spreading the disease quickly over long distances.  Mosquitos don't normally 
travel long distances themselves, unless they are transported.  That can 
happen, as in the mosquito larvae that were brought to WA from the orient in 
bamboo shoot packages, which had water in them.  The larvae matured just in 
time to be released when the packages were opened.  Don't know how many were 
actually released, do know they found larvae.  Back to EIA, horses that test 
positive can be quarantined for life.  They have to be in a screened 
enclosure, and be at least a certain distance from any other horses (don't 
remember the distance, but it is something in the range of a mile--please 
correct me if wrong.)  That's based on the natural travel patterns of 
mosquitos.

The big problem with WNV is that infected mosquitos bite birds, which can 
then fly long distances to be bitten by other, at that point non-infected 
mosquitos.  Those mosquitos then become infected and the disease spreads over 
long distances without any particular mosquito ever having to leave home.  
jeri

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