A 22-year-old Trakehner gelding that lived in Allegheny County, PA, was diagnosed with the neurologic form of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) on June 17 and euthanized, reported the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. A veterinarian was called after the horse showed signs of incoordination, abnormal urination and lying down without being able to rise. It is unclear if he had been vaccinated for the disease. An additional 39 horses boarded with the affected horse have been placed under official quarantine, reports The Horse.
EHV is highly contagious; it can cause respiratory issues and abortion in pregnant mares; it can also develop into the neurologic form of the disease, called equine herpesvirus myeloencephalitis (EHM). A horse that has the virus may have a fever, nasal discharge or cough; he may be uninterested in food or be depressed. Pregnant mares may show no symptoms of the virus before they abort, typically later in their pregnancies.
EHV-1 is spread through direct horse-to-horse contact as well as through contact with objects that have been contaminated by the virus, which includes human hands, equipment, tack, buckets, trailers and other such surfaces. The virus can be viable for between seven and 30 days in the environment.
Biosecurity measures such as limiting shared equipment and disinfection of tools and equipment that encounter an infected horse can prevent the spread of EHV. There is an EHV-1 vaccine that may reduce viral shedding of the disease, but it is not protective against the neurologic form.
Read more at The Horse.
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