 |
|
 |
 |
West Nile
viral encephalitis is a mosquito-borne infection of the
brain caused by the West Nile virus. West Nile virus is spread by
the bite of an infected mosquito, and can infect people and
animals. Wild birds, horses, and humans are the species most often
affected; however, the virus has also been identified in cats,
dogs, bats, chipmunks, skunks, squirrels and domestic rabbits.
Although these latter species may become infected, they usually do
not develop clinical signs of disease. Risk of contracting
West Nile virus is low. In areas where mosquitoes carry the virus,
less than 1% are actually infected. Even if mosquitoes are
infected, less than 1% of people bitten and infected by those
mosquitoes become severely ill. |
|
Most infections in
humans are relatively mild, with flu-like symptoms including fever,
headache, body aches and, in some cases, skin rash and swollen
lymph glands. Signs of more severe infections include high fever,
neck stiffness, muscle weakness, convulsions and paralysis. Death
rates associated with severe infection range from 3% to 15% and are
highest among the elderly. |
 |
 |
Heartworm disease is a parasitic disease of
dogs and in some parts of the country cats. Dogs (and Cats) are
infected when bitten by a mosquito that has recently bitten an
infected dog. The parasite in heartworm disease lives in the heart
or the great vessels around the heart, which leads to damage to the
heart over time. At one time heartworm disease was restricted to
the South and East parts of the United States, but over the past
decades we have seen it gradually moving west as people and their
pets have become more mobile. In Utah the incidence of heartworm
disease grew steadily throughout the 1990s, but in the last few
years thankfully the number of cases reported each year has
plateaued.
|
Prevention
of heartworm disease is a two step process: - First a blood
sample is tested to be sure that the animal is not already infected
with heartworms.
- Second the dog is
started on a preventative during the mosquito season when they are
at risk being exposed to heartworm.
Currently the
prevention method is a monthly oral medication. The veterinarians at
White Pine currently strongly recommend all dogs be placed on
preventative from May 1 thru Nov 1 to protect them for the risk of
heartworm disease. Currently heartworm
in cats in Utah is still very rare so that prevention in this
species is not needed at this time. |
|
|
 |
|
