The Arizona Department of Agriculture confirmed a case of equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM due to equine herpesvirus type 1: wild strain) in a horse at Turf Paradise in Maricopa County.
The horse presented with neurologic signs on February 8, 2018, and was moved to a referral hospital.
One barn at the racetrack has been quarantined while the Office of the State Veterinarian working is with track officials to continue to monitor exposed horses. All owners and trainers are encouraged to practice strict biosecurity and report any sick horses.
The Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) 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.
