E.S. Rusty Ford, Equine Operations Consultant for the Kentucky State Veterinarian’s office, stated on March 7 that results of testing on the samples collected from each of the horses in Barn 3 at The Thoroughbred Center near Lexington have been reported negative. In addition to the testing that has been completed, the horses have been monitored daily and findings support that it has been greater than 14 days since any horse in the barn was last exposed to a clinical case. Meeting the criteria above has qualified the horses in Barn 3 to be released from quarantine and restrictions imposed by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.
Ford said state personnel are continuing daily monitoring the horses stabled in Barn 30 at The Training Center. He said there have been no fevers or other clinical signs of illness in the group. Because of that, the Kentucky State Veterinarian’s office has scheduled the horses in Barn 30 to be sampled (swabs and whole blood) and tested by PCR later this week.
Racing at Turfway Park in Northern Kentucky continues uninterrupted. Ford said that the protocol regarding horses shipping onto Turfway Park for racing remains unchanged.
Trainers shipping in to race or train will continue to be assigned stabling in the receiving barns unless the individual trainer has stalls permanently assigned on the backside, noted Ford. Trainers electing to stable in their assigned stalls understand and agree to comply with State Veterinarian directives that the horses stabled with the general population are required to remain on the grounds for the defined period of time (currently seven days).
The requirements include that all horses entering the stabling area are required to present valid certificates (EIA and Health Certificate) qualifying each horse’s entry onto the backside. The Health Certificate must include statements that demonstrate a valid EHV-1 vaccination history.
