Horses continue to contract and die from viruses circulating in the equine industry. Vaccination is needed, and biosecurity measures are necessary.
New York Reports Five Equine WNV Cases
The New York State Department of Agriculture confirmed five cases of equine West Nile virus (WNV). The horses ranged from 2 to 22 years old, and none were recently vaccinated.
The horses were located in Moravia (Cayuga County), Avon (Livingston County), Altmar (Oswego County), Rensselaer Falls (St. Lawrence County) and Macedon (Wayne County). Three horses are alive and two were euthanized.
New Jersey Neurologic Herpesvirus
The New Jersey Department of Agriculture confirmed equine eerpesvirus myeloencephalitis (EHM) in Warren County, New Jersey. The 25-year-old Quarter Horse was euthanized on November 2, 2017. There are other horses on the premises that were exposed to the affected horse as well as other horses at a New Jersey horse show that were potentially exposed.
Biosecurity measures are in effect at the home premises and will be in place for the duration of the 21-day quarantine. Additionally, all the horses on the quarantined premises will have temperatures checked twice daily in order to confirm the virus is not spreading.
Currently, one of the exposed horses at the home premises has demonstrated an increase in temperature.
Tracebacks are currently being performed for all potentially exposed horses.
For more information go to https://aaep.org/sites/default/files/Documents/DiseaseFactsheetEHM.pdf.
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.
