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West Nile's local presence swells, vet says
By Karin Elton
Marshall Independent
Staff Writer
Text version of this story

MARSHALL -- Veterinarians and staff at Marshall Animal Clinic did some bird watching recently.

A black crow exhibited odd behavior in the parking lot, probably symptomatic of West Nile virus.

Without a test, the veterinarians cannot be sure the crow is infected, but "what else could it be?" Dr. Tracey Westegaard asked as she watched the bird attempt to fly and stumble when landing. "It's definitely not right."

The number of West Nile cases among horses has increased in the last several weeks, Westegaard said. She treated four horses for the virus over Labor Day weekend alone.

"I bet I put 100 miles on my pickup truck going from West Nile horse to West Nile horse," she said. "Not all of them die. More are living because the owners know the symptoms now."

The virus became evident in the area when a horse near Boyd came down with the sickness July 27. Westegaard had to put down the horse.

"Since that first case, we've probably had 30 cases," she said.

A vaccine is available for people seeking protection for their horses.

"Unfortunately, we are seeing it in some horses that have had the vaccine," Westegaard said. "They're mild cases, but we have seen it in a few."

A colleague, Dr. Mike Healy, was the first vet to spot the sick crow in the clinic's parking lot as he returned from a call, Westegaard said.

"We get a lot of calls from people reporting sick or dead birds. They see them in their yards or the bike path. (The birds) don't fly away when you approach them," Westegaard said. "There's really nothing we can do about it. We tell them if they have questions, to call the Minnesota Department of Health."

According to an April 20 Minnesota Department of Health Fact Sheet, the best way to detect West Nile Virus in an area is to look for birds that have been bitten by infected mosquitoes and killed by the virus.

MDH has been collecting reports of dead birds from around the state and testing some of them for the virus. The health department is interested in all species of birds, but especially the American crow and blue jay.

Dead birds can be reported to the Minnesota Department of Health by calling 612-676-5414 or toll free at 877-676-5414. Callers should only report birds that have died under unusual circumstances.

"I bet we'll be seeing them until the first frost," said Westegaard. "Mosquitoes are still going strong."

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Last updated: February 1, 2006