The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) has lifted hold orders on the detention barn at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore and a barn at the Bowie Training Center in Bowie after the final four horses in those barns tested negative for equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) on nested polymerase chain reaction tests. “These negative tests bring this EHV-1 outbreak to official closure in Maryland as all hold orders have been lifted and there are no reported signs of the virus anywhere in the state,” said Maryland State Veterinarian Guy Hohenhaus, DVM.

“This is good news for all of Maryland’s horse owners and related businesses,” Hohenhaus added. “We thank all parties involved for their patience and diligence in stopping the spread of the virus. While this event is now over, we remind all horse owners that a robust vaccination program is important, and to consult with their private veterinarians on which vaccines are most appropriate for a particular horse and its activities.”

Herpesvirus-1 hit Pimlico in January and resulted in three horses from three separate barns at the track being euthanatized. The Maryland Jockey Club was quarantined for an 18-day period, which restricted movement to and from the facility for the 500 horses based there. Two horses still had not cleared the testing process as of last week and were prohibited from mixing with the general horse population. After more than two months of quarantine and isolation, all other horses in the affected barns had tested negative.

At Laurel Park, where 900 horses are stabled, there was a hold order on Barn 9 for more than a month after the Jan. 26 euthanasia of a filly with neurologic EHV-1. On March 2, after five weeks of quarantine, 34 of the 36 horses housed in the barn cleared the testing process. Trainer Rodney Jenkins relocated the other two horses to the Bowie Training Center until they tested negative. Negative results on those two were returned today