The Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) offers alerts about equine diseases that have been confirmed by reliable sources. The following information is from the EDCC. The following reports are in chronological order from most recent to oldest from previous reports.
EHV Movement Restrictions at Fair Grounds and Delta Downs in Louisiana
On January 2, 2017, a horse at Fair Grounds racetrack in quarantine barn #14 spiked a low-grade fever with no other clinical signs and was isolated for testing. Another horse in the receiving barn that had been treated for a knee condition spiked a high fever with no other clinical signs and it was quarantined to the barn for testing at the Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab. The horse from barn #14 had PCR testing results on blood, nasal swabs, and nasal lavage that were negative for EHV-1. That horse will be tested again in 72 hours. The horse from the receiving barn had PCR testing results on blood, nasal swabs, and nasal lavage that were positive for EHV-1 non-neuropathogenic or wild type strain. That horse was placed in quarantined isolation and the receiving barn and horses there were placed under quarantine.
Due to the nature of the receiving barn where day riders are required to check in, the Fair Grounds Racetrack is now under movement restrictions with no horses allowed to enter or leave. Racing will continue at the track. Movement restrictions are also in place at Delta Downs Racetrack in Vinton, Louisiana, due to the day racers that visit both tracks. Racing will continue at Delta Downs also. Epidemiological investigations into movements on and off of both tracks are ongoing and LDAF, USDA, and Racing Commission veterinarians continue to work with track personnel in monitoring the incident.
About EDCC
The Equine Disease Communication Center works to protect horses and the horse industry from the threat of infectious diseases in North America. The communication system is designed to seek and report real time information about disease outbreaks similar to how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) alerts the human population about diseases in people.
The goal of the EDCC is to alert the horse industry about disease outbreak information to help mitigate and prevent the spread of disease. Ultimately frequent and accurate information about diseases outbreaks improves horse welfare and helps to prevent negative economic impact that can result from decreased horse use due to a fear of spreading infection. As part of the National Equine Health Plan the EDCC will serve as part of the communication to help educate and promote research about endemic and foreign disease.
Working in cooperation with state animal health officials and the United State Department of Agriculture, the EDCC seeks information about current disease outbreaks from news media, social media, official state reports and veterinary practitioners. Once information is confirmed, it is immediately posted on this website and messages sent to all states and horse organizations by email. Daily updates are posted until each outbreak is contained or deemed no longer a threat.
The EDCC is made possible by generous donations from organizations and horse owners. Please visit our sponsors that have generously supported this program for the benefit of the health and welfare of horses. To learn how you can help go to SUPPORT.
