2007 PRESS RELEASES
February 21, 2007
EQUINE HERPES VIRUS-1 REPORTED IN VIRGINIA; STATE VETERINARIAN QUARANTINING FARMS
Contact: Elaine Lidholm, 804.786.7686
Under the direction of State Veterinarian Richard Wilkes, veterinarians with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) are currently quarantining six farms in Northern Virginia with horses that could have come in contact with a horse infected with a neurological form of Equine Herpes Virus-1 (EHV-1). The Maryland Department of Agriculture is working with similarly-exposed animals in that state. The infected horse was treated at the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, Virginia, which is also under quarantine.
Quarantines will restrict movement on and off the affected facilities. In addition, veterinarians are urging horse owners to observe strict hygiene control procedures, including a thorough cleaning and disinfecting routine using a proven disinfectant/cleaner, to avoid spreading the disease in the environment.
Equine rhinopneumonitis virus (EHV-1 or equine abortion virus) is a highly infectious disease that usually affects the respiratory system. Occasionally, the virus may also cause neurological disease. Transmission likely occurs by inhaling infected droplets or ingesting material contaminated by nasal discharges or aborted fetuses. To date, there is no effective treatment for EHV1. Clinical symptoms include a fever of 101.5 or higher, or one or more degrees above the horse’s normal rectal temperature, difficulty urinating, depression, and stumbling or weakness in the hind limbs. Supportive therapy is often successful in treating these cases. In severe cases, horses will be unable to stand; these cases have a very poor prognosis.
EHV-1 poses no known health threats to humans. The disease first appeared in the United States in 2001, and Virginia had its first case in 2002. Several types of vaccine are available and horse owners should work with their veterinarian to choose a vaccine and a vaccination schedule to protect their animals.
For more information on EHV-1, horse owners should check with their veterinarians, contact VDACS’ Division of Animal and Food Industry Services at 804.692.0601, or go to http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/nahss/equine/ehv/ehv_2005.htm.