July 15, 2007 12:22 am
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By Debby Schamber
The Orange Leader
Three horses in the Mauriceville area have been given a death sentence by the state of Texas and will be euthanized Monday.
The horses were recently tested and it was determined the horses had contracted Coggins disease, also known as swamp fever.
The disease is primarily spread by horseflies, deerflies and sometimes mosquitos. If the fly bites an infected horse and then bites a healthy horse the disease is transmitted. Because it is so easily transmitted and can potentially affect herds of horses, they are almost immediately euthanized.
Beth Louviere has raised Frank, a 10-year-old quarterhorse, since he was a colt. Over the years he has become more of a family pet.
“He is so gentle and comes to the fence to talk to my grandson Zack,” Louviere said.
Zack Fussell, 6, eagerly runs with a smile on his face to Frank’s stall to feed him.
“Is that good Frank?” he asks. “That’s a good boy.”
Louviere doesn’t want Frank to die in vain and wants to save other area horses from the same fate.
“Just one horse around here with that disease is enough” Louviere said.
A neighbor of Louviere’s with an adjoining pasture, P.K. Lester, also owns a horse with Coggins disease.
“This just isn’t a horse, he is my buddy,” Lester said.
Lester is often seen in the pasture talking to his beloved friend. However, after Monday, Blaze will be buried in the same pasture where he loves to graze.
“I am going to have to have somebody else lead him to the spot,” Lester said. “I just can’t do it.”
Monday afternoon, state officials will arrive to make sure the deed is done and a local veterinarian will give the horses a shot. Afterwards a hole will be dug and the horses will be buried.
Frank doesn’t act sick according to Louviere. Symptoms include fever, depression and no appetite. A horse with acute symptoms may be difficult to diagnose because they are very general and may be attributed to other factors such as hard work or hot weather. One third of these horses will die within a month.
The chronically infected horse will have recurring bouts along with weight loss, anemia and ventral edema. Sometimes the horses may rebound and linger for about a year before they die.
There are no vaccinations available to prevent or cure the disease. The only preventative measure is to rub the horse down with a repellent.
“I have been around horses all my life,” Louviere said.
Louviere rubs her horse down frequently, but this time it wasn’t guaranteed the horse fly would not bite her horse.
The horses in Mauriceville horses were tested twice to make sure they indeed have the disease.
“I didn’t want to put my buddy down for no good reason,” Lester said.
Lester feels helpless in his efforts to save his horse.
“I just have to abide with what the state says we have to do,” he said.
The current testing program has gone along way toward reducing the disease. However, it is important for a owner to know the horse’s pasture mates are as healthy as their own horse, according to information from Robert Oglesby, DVM.
The state has placed a quarantine on the locations where the disease was located. The owners will not be able to buy or sell a horse for one year.
The owner of the third horse declined to comment.
Horse owners can help control the spread of Coggins by;
• subjecting their horses to the Coggins test annually;
• requiring a negative Coggins test certificate to accompany all horses entering boarding stables, fairs and race tracks;
• not allowing their horses to come in close contact with horses of questionable health status;
• controlling biting flies and mosquitos by developing a fly control procedure around the stable;
• using disposable hypodermic needles to prevent the spread of the virus;
• avoid interchanging equipment such as bridles, saddles, brushes and bandages from one horse to another.
Reach this reporter at 409-883-3571, Ext. 2613, or dschamber@orangeleader.com
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