Editor’s note: The following information was provided from Rusty Ford, Equine Programs Manager for the Kentucky State Veterinarian’s office, on February 8 at 7:50 p.m.
Turfway Park
Results of EHV-1 testing by PCR, conducted on the population of horses in the quarantined barn at Turfway Park, has failed to give us the level of confidence needed tonight to declare that the horses in the barn meet eligibility to be released from the quarantine and restrictions. With this determination, the status of this barn remains unchanged tonight.
In summary: With one (1) exception, the population of horses in the barn did test negative on both whole blood and nasal swabs. The single exception is a result from a nasal swab that did detect EHV-1 DNA at a low level. The whole blood sample was negative, and daily monitoring has been conducted with no evidence of illness detected. To assure confidence of this individual’s (and the population’s) status, additional samples (whole blood and nasal swabs) are scheduled to be collected from this horse. Results of this sampling are expected to be available on Friday afternoon 2/10/17.
Keeneland’s Rice Road Training Center
One barn remains under quarantine tonight. Samples (whole blood and nasal swabs) have been collected from the horses in this barn and testing results are expected to be available tomorrow morning 2/9/17. We will issue an update on the status of horses in this barn after the results are reported.
Keeneland’s second barn on Rice Road that had been quarantined earlier has today been released from the quarantine and all associated restrictions. Testing of the barn’s population of horses that had been exposed to EHV-1 was completed today (2/8/2017) with each horse testing negative on both nasal swabs and whole blood. Having been greater than 14 days post-exposure and each horse now having two negative sets of results, the Kentucky Office of State Veterinarian has released the quarantine imposed on January 22, 2017, and horses from this barn are under no further restrictions.
