Positive rabies test in local horse serves as reminder to get horses vaccinated

Rabies is fatal in horses and humans. This healthy mare is protected with a rabies vaccine each year. Photo by LISA PAINE STATEWIDE — A confirmed case of rabies in a North Branch-area race horse last week likely will have a lot of veterinarians seeing an increase in farm calls as the case brings to light the fact that although Michigan does not require vaccinating horses, it’s a must for anyone owning horses. Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine urges all horse owners to consider rabies vaccination as part of their yearly vaccination schedule.

Rabies is a virus that comes from the rhabdovirus family, and is most common in wild animals such as raccoons, skunks, bats and foxes. It can be spread from infected animals to humans, unvaccinated cats and dogs, and livestock such as cows and sheep, and horses.

There is no treatment for rabies. It’s 100 percent fatal to people and animals, the MSU CVM says. The consequences to the animal are severe and anguishing to watch and the only way to confirm a positive case to test the animals head and brain tissue.

Rabies is classified as a zoonotic disease, meaning there is the possibility of transmission from animals to humans. Currently, there are no documented cases of horse-to-human transmission, but the possibility exists as the transmission is through saliva. Incubation varies from two-10 weeks based on what area of the body a bite occurs. Rabies has three stages—prodromal period, excitative stage and paralytic stage-- explained MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine on its web site.

The prodromal period is the first 1-3 days after the rabies virus reaches the brain. Affected animals exhibit what it calls vague neurologic signs that progress rapidly, and can include lethargy, excessive drooling, and sensitivity to light and in-coordination. Death usually occurs within 10 days.

Excitative stage, more often called the furious rabies stage, follows in the next 2-3 days, where normally tame animals exhibit suddenly and vicious behavior biting or attacking other animals and people, some will eat aggressively at their stall walls, fences and trees and rocks. At this point, paralysis is setting in, and the animals begin to lose its ability to swallow, causing frothing at the mouth.

The paralytic stage is often the most common clinical presentation where the animal’s throat and chewing muscles are paralyzed, it is unable to swallow, drools and its lower jaw drops. Caution is urged for anyone handling any type of animal at this stage, as the saliva is dangerous.

Animals can suffer for up to five to 10 days because initial symptoms can also indicate other neurological diseases such as West Nile virus, equine herpes and others that present with lethargy, the animal going off his feed and in-coordination.

Rabies is preventable though, and any horse owner living anywhere near raccoons, bats, skunks, and foxes can access pastures and barn areas should absolutely get their horses vaccinated. With the current state of the economy, and people cutting the family budget where they can, this is one area that horse owners should not skimp on. Many veterinarians are willing to work out payment plans and spare owners the agonizing results of rabies.

For the North Branch horse owner, his remaining herd is now under a state mandated six-month quarantine period, where the horses must now be watched closely for signs of rabies. The only other option was euthanasia of the entire herd.

No one wants to watch a horse go through the painful and fatal process, and what happens to it afterwards is just not worth forgoing the cost of the vaccine. Annual boosters can help protect you and your horses. As we are just entering the prime spring vaccination period, don’t put this one off.