West Nile Confirmed in Southwest Missouri Horse

Health officials in Southwest Missouri say a horse in McDonald County is the first case of equine West Nile Virus of the year. At least one crow in the St.Louis area was confirmed to have the disease and another has been reported in Southeast Missouri. The 18-year-old horse has been destroyed. Last year, 662 horses in the state picked up the virus. Mosquitoes transfer the virus to humans and horses after getting it from infected birds. People cannot spread the disease to other people, and it won’t spread from birds to people.