Last year, a horse that had been stabled at the 2006 Tennessee Walking Horse National Convention in Shelbyville, Tennessee, was diagnosed with rabies, and a frantic search was launched to identify people who may have had close contact with the rabid horse. Suddenly, the topic of rabies in horses was thrown into the national spotlight.
But just how many horses do get rabies? What are the risks of your horse getting it, and how much risk does a rabid horse pose to the people working with him?
No Need to Panic
Fortunately, rabies in horses is relatively rare. Less than 100 cases per year are recorded out of the estimated 7.5 million horses in this country. In 2004, there were only 10 cases in horses and mules. However, given the seriousness of this disease, and the risk to owners if their horses do become rabid, vaccination is often recommended-particularly if a horse spends a considerable amount of time outside and you live in an area with high rabies activity.
Handle Potential Cases with Care
- If you're in an area of high rabies activity, vaccinate against the disease annually.
- Treat any neurological disorder in your horse as a possible rabies case.
- Leave the exam up to your veterinarian.
- Use gloves when looking in your horse's mouth, especially if he has neurological symptoms.
- Inspect your horse daily for evidence of bite wounds, especially if he lives outdoors.
- If your horse dies of an unknown neurological disorder, turn his brain over to the state veterinary laboratory for testing.
The lower case numbers in horses probably reflects their quickness and wariness of close contact with other animals. Typically, there are many more cases in cattle, which are slower than horses, while the bulk of cases in domestic animals involve dogs and cats, which are actually attracted to any wild animal that is acting strangely.
Wouldn't You See a Wound?
If the horse has an obvious bite wound, or had one in the two to three weeks before showing symptoms, obviously the index of suspicion for rabies should jump if that horse develops neurological signs. However, the incubation period (time from infection to symptoms) can be as long as three months. Horses may also be bitten around the ankle/fetlock, and the longer hair there can easily hide puncture marks from a bite.
It's just plain good management to inspect horses kept outside at least once daily. This should include picking out the feet and checking for wounds, bearing in mind you are also looking for punctures.
