SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. – A horse in the Nebraska Panhandle has tested positive for West Nile virus, according to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and Panhandle Public Health District.

Officials say horses become infected after being bitten by an infected mosquito, but they cannot spread the disease to people or other horses. While many horses show no symptoms, about 35% of those that become ill may have to be euthanized.

Signs of infection include weakness, incoordination, muscle twitching, altered mental state, seizures, blindness, cranial nerve deficits and fever. Four vaccines are licensed through the U.S. Department of Agriculture to protect horses from the virus, and veterinarians strongly recommend vaccination as the most effective prevention strategy.

This year, 124 mosquito surveillance samples in Nebraska have tested positive for West Nile virus, including 50 in the Panhandle. One sample in Scotts Bluff County also tested positive for St. Louis Encephalitis. Statewide, 31 human cases of West Nile virus have been reported, including 13 in the Panhandle.

Health officials are urging residents to continue prevention measures until the first freeze. Recommendations include applying mosquito repellent with DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus; wearing long sleeves and pants; avoiding outdoor activity at dawn and dusk; eliminating standing water; repairing window screens; and using larvicides in undrainable water.

More information is available at www.pphd.ne.gov or by calling 308-487-3600 ext. 108.