Horse owners around the KVOE listening area need to be advised confirmed cases of West Nile virus have been found nearby.
The Kansas Department of Agriculture says West Nile has been confirmed in Butler County, as well as in Barber, Douglas and Pratt counties.
The KDA Division of Animal Health says West Nile is preventable through animal vaccinations. All the currently-confirmed cases are in horses that were either unvaccinated or have unknown vaccination history and are assumed to be unvaccinated.
KDA says horse owners should work with their local veterinarians for vaccination plans, in part because the virus can be fatal to horses and in part because it can infect people, birds and other animal species. KDA stresses West Nile is not directly contagious from horse to horse or from horse to human.
Equine symptoms include depression, fever, loss of appetite, lack of coordination, weakness and hypersensitivity to touch or sound.
