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Iowa Racehorse Euthanized; West Nile suspected3 September 2002IOWA - As reported by the Desmoines Register: ``Iowa has recorded its first racehorse death thought to be related to the West Nile virus. ``Dave Radechel, a state veterinarian at Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Altoona, said Boot Her Home was one of five possible West Nile cases that he had learned of since Friday. The five horses, of different breeds and ages, were all housed at farms. ``As of Wednesday evening, none of the cases had been confirmed through blood tests. Nevertheless, Radechel warned that a rainstorm late last week ripened conditions for a West Nile outbreak. ``...The Iowa Department of Agriculture on Aug. 13 advised that all horses be vaccinated for the West Nile virus. Since then, the number of confirmed cases has risen from two horses to 43. Twelve of those horses have died. ``...The vaccination, still experimental, takes two doses. It can take four weeks after the second dose for the vaccination to be at full strength, state veterinarian Keith Soring said. He estimated that 90 percent of the horses at Prairie Meadows have been vaccinated..." |