The Office of the State Veterinarian confirms five cases and one suspected case of West Nile Virus in horses.
These are the first Delaware cases of West Nile in horses in 2023, with the initial case identified on Sept. 9. Five of the cases were found in Kent County and one in New Castle County
While mosquito season should come to a close with the first hard freeze, the State Veterinarian urges horse owners to make sure vaccines are up to date, keep horses in the barn during peak mosquito hours and use topical insect repellent labeled for use on horses.
Humans can also be infected with the virus, but transmission requires a mosquito bite and cannot be directly transmitted between horses or between horses and people.
Most people infected with West Nile do not develop symptoms, but about 20% can develop a mild illness and a small number of people can develop neurological problems.
The Division of Public Health Disease Prevention & Control Section reports four confirmed cases of neuroinvasive West Nile Virus this year.
