The arrival of warm weather and mosquito season brings a reminder to Nebraska horse owners that West Nile virus still is a threat to their animals.

Two years ago more than 14,000 equine cases were reported in the United States. More than 1,100 were in the Cornhusker state.

While there is no vaccine to guard against the disease for humans, there is for horses, which seem to be particularly at risk from West Nile. A number of vaccines on the market are said to be 95-percent effective to protect horses from the deadly virus.

Debbie Jo Blank is among those who are not taking chances. She is vaccinating her five horses for a third time to get that vaccination program started. He says if a horse has had a shot before, one more will do the trick for the year.

For owners who have never vaccinated their horses of changed the type of vaccine, two shots need to be administered four-to-six weeks apart.