On April 10, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs reported two cases of equine herpesvirus that had been at the same facility at one time.
The first case was a senior gelding that had severe neurologic signs in the Municipality of York, Ontario, Canada. The horse was euthanized. It was noted that on April 2, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) was notified of a confirmed case of equine herpes myeloencephalopathy (EHM) due to equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) at a facility with both competition and resident horses in the Regional Municipality of York. The unvaccinated senior gelding was euthanized after developing sudden and severe neurological signs. The facility owner’s veterinarian is advising the owner on movement restrictions and biosecurity.
The second case was in the Cochrane District, Ontario, Canada. The horse showed intermittent fever and is still alive.
It was noted that this horse, which had been stabled at the same facility in the Municipality of York for a short period of time prior to returning to the Cochrane District, developed intermittent fevers and tested positive for EHV-1. The owner of the second affected facility has placed that premises under a voluntary quarantine.
Information for this report was provided by the Equine Disease Communication Center.
