Machine to speed up West Nile virus tests

Monday, April 4, 2005 | 9:15 a.m.

SUN CAPITAL BUREAU

CARSON CITY -- A new disagnostic unit to speed up the testing of West Nile virus samples is going to be acquired by the state Department of Agriculture that expects a high number of samples this year.

Dr. David Thain, administrator of the animal industry division in the department, told the Legislative Interim Finance Committee Thursday he expects a three fold to ten fold increase in the population of mosquitos this summer because of the heavy rains statewide

Mosquitos transmit the West Nile Virus. Thain said there will be more requests for sampling for the virus.

The finance committee allowed the department to accept $48,400 in federal funds to buy the testing equipment to be used this summer. Thain said this machine will accelerate the testing for the virus.

Last year, the department said it found 131 domestic horses tested positive for the virus and 50 of them died. Of those 12 of the 28 horses that tested positive in Clark County died.

The department conducted 852 tests of dead birds and 150 tested positive.

The infection in horses causes listlessness, stumbling and a lack of coordination and weakness of limbs. There are two licensed vaccines for horses and the department urges horse owners to get their animals vaccinated.