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Potomac Horse Fever
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From: Jo Crain crain@biochem.purdue.edu
Newsgroups: rec.equestrian
Subject: Re: Potomac Horse Fever in Houston -- HELP
sonszb@ttuhsc.edu (Shelley Z. Burson) wrote:
>
> A very good friend of mine has learned that Potomac Horse Fever is
> popping up in Houston (where she lives). Please help us!
>
> 1. How high is this incidence?
Tends to pop up in clusters. Is mosquito born, so
getting rid of those pesky buggers should be a top priority.
> 2. What are the signs and symptoms to look for?
Fever, lethargy and extreme watery, shooting diarrhea,
the kind that paints the stall walls.
> 3. What is the treatment?
Antibiotics (megadoses), and IV supportive fluids (they
get severely dehydrated very quickly).
Major complication is probably laminitis.
> 4. Is this very life threatening?
Extremely so. In the early days it was believed to
be about 80% fatal (80% of the horses that caught it
died). Now I think fatality is still somewhere around
40% even if treatment is agressive. All depends on
how quickly you can catch it and institute proper
measures.
> 5. What is the likeliness of this spreading around the Houston area?
Nowadays, if you have mosquitoes, you'd better be
vaccinating for PHF. The treatment is expensive
and can require hospitalization. I've heard of
horses with relatively mild cases (those that have
been vaccinated, for example) being on antibiotics
for 3 weeks. It is a very debilitating illness
and requires time to come back from.
I don't know specifically about the incidence of
disease in Houston, but it has been reported on
the west coast, and even right here in Indiana
(last year).
Vaccination does not *guarantee* your horse won't
get, but it should make the disease more survivable
and vaccinated horses do not usually get as ill
as unimmunized ones.
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From: Sherri Eastman eastman@solstice.jpl.nasa.gov
Subject: Re: Potomac Horse Fever in Houston -- HELP
Date: 23 Mar 1995 21:17:25 GMT
I just found my notes on a seminar for Potomac Fever that I took
several years ago and they tend to support Jo Crain's information. But
though I am in danger of repeating, will jot down what i "jotted down"
then.
disease is related to typhus in people, and Rocky Mountain spotted
Fever
Mild cases initially exhibit depression and low fever. Can be off feed
day or two and symptoms can disappear within 12 hours (then I think the
symptoms come back big time..notes leave that out, but I think my
memory serves)
First symptoms of severe Potomac Fever are bellyache and depression
can go down rolling...if they go in for surgery usually do not survive.
Pipe stream diarrhea
animals become dehydrated
Source of infection
white footed mouse
domestic livestock
dogs
other horses
Spread by
insects
ticks (primary carrier)
fleas
mites
Blood tests show
crash white cells
crash in platelites
IFA test is specific for Potomac Fever
Animals can have symptoms before this test is valid..test is accurate,
but doesnt show up at first.
Davis does 1 blood test initially, 2nd test 10 days later.
If you treat with titer antibiotics you can mask disease
Treatment (contraindicated for salmonella)
tetracycline at 3 grams per day 3 to 7 days
fluids
supportive therapy
fluids intravenously very very important one vet used 110 liters one
weekend.
Outcome:
recovery
death
laminitis
colic
cold weather inhibits the vectors
Warm climate produces greater danger
vaccine very safe, generally little or no reaction. Safe for foals,
pregnant mares and breeding stallions.
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