West Nil virus: Infections in horses in Lower Saxony alarming the holder

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Surprisingly,

In Lower Saxony, an increasing number of infections with the West Nil virus in horses has shown itself. The Ministry of Agriculture in Hanover announced that a total of ten horses have been infected with the virus since mid -August. This disease is classified as an animal disease subject to notify and is transmitted by mosquitoes, with birds being the most common hosts. For horses, the disease often runs asymptomatic, whereas some animals have to fight the virus with severe neurological symptoms such as paralysis or muscle tremors. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), people usually do not show any striking course of the disease.

The affected regions in Lower Saxony are diverse, with infections in the Lüchow-Dannenberg, Rotenburg (Wümme), Uelzen, Celle, Gifhorn and Vechta districts, as well as in the city of Braunschweig. Beyond the horses, the virus was also detected for several bird species, including a blackbird in the Gifhorn district, a Weißkopfseadler in the Harburg district and an owl in the Hildesheim district. This shows that the virus has a broader spread and is omnipresent in the wildlife. Most recently, in Lower Saxony in 2023 and 2020 there were only individual evidence of infections in horses.

vaccination recommendation for horse owners

The West Nil virus has its origin in Africa and was first discovered in the West Nil district in Uganda in 1937. In Europe, the virus performed in France in the early 1960s and found its way to Germany, where the first bird infected with the virus was found in August 2018. The virus becomes more relevant year after year, especially after the RKI in 2019 registered the first human infections that were transferred by the domestic mosquitoes. These developments are highlighting the importance of prevention measures and vaccinations in order to protect not only the horses, but also the people in the affected regions.