Neurologic Equine Herpesvirus in Florida Barn
A horse in Marion County, Florida, is positive for neurologic equine herpesvirus, and 50 horses at the premises are under quarantine.
A horse in Marion County, Florida, is positive for neurologic equine herpesvirus, and 50 horses at the premises are under quarantine. Wikimedia Commons

A horse at a training facility in Marion County, Florida, is confirmed positive for neurologic equine herpesvirus. Fifty additional horses are exposed, and all the horses on the premises are under quarantine. There are no 14-day traces related to this premises.

EDCC Health Watch is an Equine Network marketing program that utilizes information from the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) to create and disseminate verified equine disease reports. The EDCC is an independent nonprofit organization that is supported by industry donations in order to provide open access to infectious disease information.

EHV 101

Herpesvirus is highly contagious among horses and can cause a variety of ailments in equids, including rhinopneumonitis (a respiratory disease usually found in young horses), abortion in broodmares, and EHM.

In many horses, the first or only sign of EHV-1 infection is fever, which can go undetected. In addition to fever, other common signs of EHV-1 infection in young horses include cough, decreased appetite, depression, and a nasal discharge. Pregnant mares typically show no signs of infection before they abort, and abortions usually occur late in gestation (around eight months) but can be earlier. Abortions can occur anywhere from two weeks to several months following infection with EHV-1.

Horses with EHM usually have a fever at the onset of the disease and might show signs of a respiratory infection. A few days later, neurologic signs such as ataxia (incoordination), weakness or paralysis of the fore- and hind limbs, urine retention and dribbling, loss of tail tone, and recumbency (inability to rise) develop.

Herpesvirus is easily spread by nose-to-nose or close contact with an infectious horse; sharing contaminated equipment including bits, buckets, and towels; or clothing, hands, or equipment of people who have recently had contact with an infectious horse. Routine biosecurity measures, including hygiene and basic cleaning and disinfection practices, should be in place at all times to help prevent disease spread.

Current EHV-1 vaccines might reduce viral shedding but are not protective against the neurologic form of the disease. Implementing routine biosecurity practices is the best way to minimize viral spread, and the best method of disease control is disease prevention.

Brought to you by Boehringer Ingelheim, The Art of the Horse

categories
tags
Trending Articles
Old white horse on pasture
‘Free to a Good Home’: When Owners Can No Longer Afford Their Horses 
portrait of beautiful holstein grey stallion horse on red forest background
Disease Du Jour: Nuchal Bursitis in Horses
AdobeStock_131334434
10 Radiographic Prepurchase Abnormalities in Sport Horses 
madigan-foal-compression-1-min
Madigan Foal Squeeze Technique
Newsletter
Don’t miss an important EDCC Health Alert! Get alerts delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for EquiManagement’s newsletter.

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Country*

Additional Offers

Untitled
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign up for EDCC Health Watch text alerts to get notified when an equine disease outbreak is reported in your state or region.