West Nile virus has been diagnosed in a horse in Churchill County. The Nevada Department of Agriculture says it's the first such case involving a horse in the state in two years.
They say the horse had not been vaccinated in the past 12 to 18 months, and vaccination is effective in preventing the mosquito-borne disease. Horse owners also can protect their animals by applying approved repellents to them and by controlling mosquitoes and mosquito breeding areas.
Officials say the most common symptom in horses is weakness in the hindquarters. Paralysis may follow in extreme cases. West Nile virus causes encephalitis, which affects the central nervous system.
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