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Western Equine Encephalomyelitis

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Western Equine Encephalomyelitis is caused by a Togavirus that can cause disease outbreaks in endemic areas. Severe symptoms last a few days and recovery can occur within weeks but there is a high fatality rate.

Species affected: Equine

Symptoms: Abnormal behaviour (aggression, changing habits); Abnormal proprioceptive positioning; Agalactia or dysgalactia; Anorexia (complete, partial); Ataxia (incoordination, staggering, falling); Blindness; Circling movements; Coma, stupor; Hypodipsia, adipsia; Diarrhoea; Dullness, depression, lethargy, depressed, lethargic, listless; Dysmetria (hypermetria, hypometria); Dysphagia; Hypersalivation, frothing at the mouth; Excitement, delirium, mania; Fever; Forelimb weakness (paresis, paralysis); Generalized weakness (paresis, paralysis); Grinding of teeth (bruxism, odontoprisis); Head pressing; Head tilt; Weakness, droop, paresis, paralysis of head, face, ears, jaw; Hyperesthesia, irritable, hyperactive; Inability to stand, prostration; Nystagmus; Opisthotonus; Paraparesis (weakness, paralysis) in both hind limbs; Propulsive walk; Reluctant to move; Seizures or syncope, convulsions, fits, collapse; Strabismus; Tachycardia; Tetraparesis (weakness, paralysis); Tongue weakness (paresis, paralysis); Trembling, shivering; Tremor; Underweight (poor condition, thin, emaciated, unthriftiness, ill thrift); Weight loss;

Public health importance: It is a zoonotic virus.

References

  1. Rech R. and Barros C., 2015, “Neurologic Diseases in Horses,” Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice; 31:281-306 [Web Reference]
  2. Long M.T., 2014, “West Nile Virus and Equine Encephalitis Viruses: New Perspectives,” Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice; 30:523-542 [Web Reference]
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