The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) has confirmed additional cases of neurologic equine herpesvirus at Laurel Park Racetrack. A second horse in the same barn as the index horse began displaying clinical signs of EHV-1 and was confirmed positive on March 15. That horse did not respond to treatment and has been euthanized.
Following the second positive case, MDA Animal Health officials tested the remaining 20 horses housed in the same barn as the two positive horses on March 17. Those tests returned six positive results from asymptomatic horses. All positive horses have been removed from the barn and placed in isolated quarantine offsite.
The original hold order on the four impacted barns has been reset, and horses in the index barn will be retested prior to releasing the order.
The department continues to work closely with Laurel Park Racetrack and Maryland Jockey Club to ensure that daily operations are able to continue as safely as possible with minimal disruption.
Read about the Laurel Park index case here.
Information for this report was provided by the Equine Disease Communication Center.
