The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) reported that a 4-year-old Quarter Horse gelding has been confirmed positive for neurologic equine herpesvirus (EHV) in Shasta County. The positive horse has been quarantined and isolated. Four exposed horses on the premises are under quarantine with enhanced biosecurity measures, including twice daily temperature monitoring. The CDFA will continue to monitor the situation.
The positive horse participated at an event at the Rolling Hills Casino Equestrian Center near Corning, California, on September 27-29, 2019. The report from the Equine Disease Communication Center stated that the event’s stabling has been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. The event’s sponsoring organization is notifying membership of the potential exposure.
CDFA recommended that horses that participated in this event should be isolated and monitored with twice daily temperature recording. Any horse that displays clinical signs consistent with neurologic herpesvirus or has a temperature over 101.5F should be reported to its attending veterinarian for evaluation and potential nasal swab and blood sampling.
California West Nile Virus
The CDFA also reported a positive case of West Nile virus (WNV) in a 3-year-old Quarter Horse stallion in Sacramento County. Onset of clinical signs was on September 21, which included ataxia, fever and head tilt. The stallion, whose vaccination stallion is unknown. is recovering.
This was the 14th case of WNV confirmed in California this year.
