Rabid Horse in Kentucky
A recent case of rabies in a horse in Kentucky should serve as a reminder of the importance of vaccination against this disease. The affected horse was a Thoroughbred that was presented to a referral clinic for signs of severe colic. After surgery, the horse began showing signs of neurological disease, developed violent seizures and was euthanized. This type of presentation is not unusual, as rabid horses often start out looking like they have other problems such as colic. The scenario of taking a horse to surgery due to signs of severe colic and finding out later that it actually had rabies is nothing new. A major concern with the non-specific nature of the early signs of rabies in horses is that a large number of people may be exposed to the horse before rabies is even considered.
Rabies is always fatal in horses. Transmission of rabies from horses to humans is extremely rare, but is a potential concern. Rabid horses can also be very dangerous due to their unpredictable and sometimes very violent behavior, and rabid horses have killed people. At the same time, rabies vaccination is cheap and very effective. All horses should be vaccinated against this devastating disease.
