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  Discussion on Big WNV Reaction- Booster or Not?
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Member:
Parfait

Posted on Friday, Nov 1, 2002 - 8:28 pm:

Dr. O.,

I live in the Seattle area and wasn't going to give WNV but they found an infected bird in a neighboring county so I gave the first shot today. Within 2 hours, one of my mares was covered in hives and her face horribly swollen. Her eyes were swollen shut, her lips were so tight that she was unable to close them and she was DrOoling. Her left nostril was just a slit.We iced her and elevated her head until the vet came. Her swelling at this point leveled out. The vet gave her Dex and Banamine.

My vet has offered to pre-treat her with anti-inflamatories and then hang around for a 1/2 hour or so to see how she responds for the booster as he says that if any of my horses get WNV, it will be THIS mare (my best show mare, lol). I have often thought that horses are more reactive to second shots in the series. I'm a little fearful about giving the booster. What do you think, Dr. O.? She has had no such reactions to any other shots although she does have a reaction to the silicon coating on the needles.

Also--I gave shots to two older mares and one yearling and a mini donkey with no reactions today.

Thank you.
Kerry
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Nov 2, 2002 - 9:47 am:

Hello Kerry,
I am not sure I have the answer for you. You are correct the second injection may be worse than the first. It becomes a matter of balancing uncertain risks.

The unusual rapidity of the reaction, the fact that she no preexposure to WNV antigens, suggest to me that it was the adjuvants, "the boostering chemicals", in the vaccine and that there was a little leakage into a vessel setting off the systemic "histamine" reaction.

I think if he remains around to treat reactions with a good supply of soludeltacortef, antihistimine, and epinephrine it is unlikely you will have a life threatening reaction but then again I would not give it unless there was a real and present threat. Let us know what happens this is question that comes up occasionally and people's experiences are all we have to go on.
DrO
Member:
Parfait

Posted on Saturday, Nov 2, 2002 - 2:58 pm:

Thank you Dr. O.,

Yikes.
I might just wait until horses are DrOpping all around us before I give the second vaccination. That sounds waaay too exciting for me.

You are correct in that we probably hit a vessle--she was jumping around as we were trying to hide the shot site by her tail and the needle was scrubbed. She hasn't seen the Ft. Dodge adjuvant while under my care so it's possible that she's allergic. If I give another one, you'll get the play by play.

Thank you.
Kerry




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