An article in the local news said only mosquitos that bite before
sunrise and at sunset carryWNV.  They warned people going out at night
to take precautions.  I suppose it would be best to keep animals in
during those hours.

v

Bummer, just found this info on the CDC website:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/qa/wnv_dogs_cats.htm

West Nile Virus and Dogs and Cats
Q. Can West Nile virus cause illness in dogs or cats?
A. Since 1999, there has been one confirmed death of a dog, and of one cat,
infected with West Nile virus. It should be understood, however, that the dog
was already in poor health, and was immune compromised - and therefore is not
representative of dogs in general. Experimentally infected dogs* showed no
symptoms after infection with WNV. Some infected cats exhibited mild,
nonspecific symptoms during the first week after infection-for the most part
only showing a slight fever and slight lethargy.
It is unlikely that most pet owners would notice any unusual symptoms or
behavior in cats or dogs that become infected with WNV.
Q. How can my veterinarian treat my cat or dog if they are/may be infected with
WNV?
A. There is no specific treatment for WNV infection. Full recovery from the
infection is likely. Treatment would be supportive and consistent with standard
veterinary practices for animals infected with a viral agent.
Q. Does my dog/cat becoming infected pose a risk to the health of my family or
other animals?
A. There is no documented evidence of dog or cat-to-person transmission of West
Nile virus. The evidence suggests that dogs do not develop enough virus in
their bloodstream to infect more mosquitoes. Cats develop slightly higher
levels of virus in their bloodstream, but it is unclear if this would be enough
to infect mosquitoes. It is very unlikely that cats would be important in
furthering the spread of the virus. *

If your animal becomes infected with WNV, this suggests that there are infected
mosquitoes in your area. You should take measures to prevent mosquitoes from
biting you (use repellent and wear protective clothing.)
Veterinarians should take normal infection control precautions when caring for
any animal (Including birds) suspected to have this or any viral infection.

Q. How do cats and dogs become infected with West Nile virus?
A. Dogs and cats become infected when bitten by an infected mosquito. There is
also evidence that cats can become infected with the virus after eating
experimentally infected mice. *
Q. Can I become infected with WNV if a dog with the virus bites me?
A. Preliminary studies have not been able to detect virus in the saliva of
infected dogs. This suggests that dog bites pose a low risk, if any, of
transmission of WNV from dogs to other animals or people.
Q. Is there a vaccine for cats or dogs?
A. No.
Q. Should a dog or cat infected with West Nile virus be destroyed?
A. No. There is no reason to destroy an animal just because it has been
infected with West Nile virus. Full recovery from the infection is likely.
Treatment would be supportive and consistent with standard veterinary practices
for animals infected with a viral agent.

Q. Can I use insect repellent on my pets?
A. DEET-based repellents, which are recommended for humans, are not approved
for veterinary use (largely because animals tend to ingest them when licking.)
Talk with your veterinarian for advice about the appropriate product for use on
your pet.
* Based on Augusten et al., forthcoming publication. Reference will be posted
on the CDC website when published.

Candace
(take the litter out before replying by e-mail)

See my cats:
http://photos.yahoo.com/maccandace

"One does not meet oneself until one catches the reflection from an eye other
than human."  (Loren Eisely)

Considering a large number of the humans who get it, get over it before they
even know they have it, it is usually beings of not great health that. have
the most difficulty. That being said, it can be quite hellacious. My
supervisors very healthy 17 y.o. son got it quite badly. Very flulike,
headaches and a rash. He was pretty sick for about a week or so.

Karen