Less than 40 West Nile virus-infected dogs were reported to the Centers for Disease Control in 2003 and only one infected cat. This may seem like a small number, but the first U.S. case of an infected dog was reported only two years ago in Illinois in September of 2002. The 8-year-old Irish setter/golden retriever mix subsequently died.
In 1982, the West Nile virus was found in a dog in Botswana in Southern Africa. Cats have been found to be infected, including one in New Jersey in 1999 and two in New York in 2000. In 1999, according to the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, a study in Queens, N.Y., showed that from 5 percent to 11 percent of dogs tested had been exposed to the virus, but none had become critically ill.
As of June 8, 2004, avian or animal infections of West Nile virus reported to the CDC are from the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Texas. Human cases reported so far in 2004 include the states of Arizona and New Mexico.
So what is this relatively new disease? The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture describes it as "a mosquito-borne virus that causes encephalitis or inflammation of the brain." It has also been found in Africa, Western Asia, the Middle East and the Mediterranean region of Europe, and is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito that has bitten an infected bird.
Like humans, pets including dogs, cats, birds, horses, rabbits, sheep and other species are infected through mosquito bites. Cats may also become infected by eating infected mice, according to laboratory experiments.
Mosquitoes are considered a summertime problem in northern climates and a year-round problem in southern climates. However, the Culex species, which is one that carries the West Nile virus, is known to survive through the winter or "overwinter" in the New York City area.
There is no approved vaccine for other than horses, so how can you protect your house pets? The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that preventing animals' exposure to mosquitoes is essential. This means keeping pets indoors between dusk and dawn. Do not use insect repellent on dogs or cats because they will lick it off their coats and ingest it. There are products approved and labeled for animal use, but you need to consult your veterinarian. Don't use products containing DEET, recommended for human use, on animals. For information about the use of DEET, you may call the National Pesticide Information Center at 1-800-858-7378.
Other prevention techniques for both pets and humans include using screens on windows and doors of your home and on other buildings where animals are housed, if at all possible. Eliminate standing water around your home and yard. Get rid of bottles, cans and plastic containers. Get rid of any tires that are lying around. Clean clogged roof gutters. Turn over or store buckets, pails, wading pools and so on. Keep the water in birdbaths and watering tanks fresh.
How will you know if your pet is infected? You may not. Most infections are mild and may not even be apparent. Clinical signs are fever, depression, lack of coordination, muscle weakness or spasms, and seizures or paralysis. The infected dog in Illinois experienced unusual bobbing of the head, lethargy and progressive weakening.
Of people who become infected, 20 percent have mild flu-like symptoms, and one in 150 to 200 become seriously ill. According to the CDC, there is no evidence that dogs or cats transmit the virus to humans.
The CDC suggests that there is no reason to destroy a pet that contracts West Nile virus, and full recovery is likely with proper veterinary treatment.
Woof!
—Uncle Matty
Dog trainer Matthew "Uncle Matty" Margolis is co-author of 18 books about dogs, a behaviorist, a popular radio and television guest, and host of the PBS series "WOOF! It's a Dog's Life!" Read all of Uncle Matty's columns at the Creators Syndicate web site at www.creators.com, and visit him at www.unclematty.com. Send your questions to dearuncle.gazetteunclematty.com or mail to Uncle Matty at P.O. Box 3300, Diamond Springs, CA 95619. © Creators Syndicate Inc.