Veterinary Diagnostic Lab Confirms 10 West Nile Virus Cases

Aug 29, 2016

The Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory known as WADDL [pronounced, “waddle”], has confirmed 10 cases of West Nile Fever in horses since August 9.

The laboratory, located within Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, tested only 38 horses since Jan. 1; a number far below their capacity for testing. All 10 cases confirmed positive recently were in unvaccinated horses in Spokane, Lincoln, and Pend Oreille counties in Washington and Boundary County in northern Idaho. All 10 also had neurological disease that occurs with West Nile encephalitis characterized by inflammation of the central nervous system.

The West Nile Fever cases reported here are unrelated to the Equine Herpes Virus-1 case confirmed by WADDL last week in a hospitalized horse at WSU’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital. The EHV-1 horse has since been humanely euthanized.

The exact reason for the spike in West Nile cases is unknown, however these most recent cases are located further north than detections in previous years. Veterinarians in WADDL are urging horse owners to contact their veterinarians and seek their advice on vaccination and how to eliminate mosquitoes where they keep horses.

Source: wsu.edu

Video: FLEECED! Sheep Shearer Hands Over Clippers!

It's sheep shearing day at Ewetopia Farms! ?? Our Dorset lambs and ewes are getting fleeced — and for the first time, our shearer hands over his clippers to a beginner. We finish shearing the last of our adult ewes and this year’s Dorset ewe lambs.

From moving the sheep between barns, loading them into chutes, and watching the wool come off, this is always one of the most satisfying days on the farm. But this video has a twist — we welcomed a new helper, Gian, who’s not only lending a hand but also learning how to shear! With guidance from our experienced shearer, he got a crash course in sheep shearing and even tried his hand at shearing a couple of lambs himself.

You’ll see firsthand how both teacher and student handled this unique challenge. Shearing is more than just removing wool — it’s about sheep health, comfort, and giving us a closer look at the flock. It’s always amazing to see the transformation from woolly sheep to freshly shorn ewes and lambs.