Although reports of infectious horse diseases have slowed during the colder winter months, the Equine Disease Communication Center has confirmed several new cases of Equine Herpes virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis in US horses.
An obviously sick horse
Although reports of infectious horse diseases have slowed during the colder winter months, the Equine Disease Communication Center has confirmed several new cases of Equine Herpes virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis in US horses.
In Doylestown, PA, confirmed cases of Equine Herpes viruses have been quarantined and two additional horses have developed mild neurological signs with limited rear limb ataxia. These horses were previously febrile several days ago and their temperatures had returned to normal. They were sampled for EHV-1 and samples were forwarded to UCD. That brings to total number of living horses in the stable with neurologic signs to 8.
The current status in the quarantined Doylestown stable shows 4 horses euthanized due to severe EHM; 6 horses with neurological impairment being treated on farm; 3 horses that have had fevers but so far no neurological impairment; 38 horses so far not showing any signs of EHV-1 infection.
In Los Angeles County, CA, a draft cross gelding displaying neurologic signs has been confirmed positive for the non-neuropathogenic strain of Equine Herpesvirus-1. A small percentage of the non-neuropathogenic infected horses can display neurologic signs compatible with equine herpes myeloencephalopathy which is a reportable disease in California. The positive horse has been quarantined and isolated. No horses have entered or left the premises since September. All exposed horses are being monitored and temperatures are being taken twice daily. CDFA will continue to monitor the situation.
A new case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis cases in Holmes County, FL, was confirmed on January 5th. The clinical signs began on December 22, 2015 and the horse died of natural causes on December 31. The horse had no travel history with the past month and was last vaccinated in spring of 2015. This is the fourth confirmed case in Holmes County and the 23rd positive for Florida in 2015.