A suspected case of equine herpesvirus has caused officials at Pimlico Race Course to isolate five horses in the detention barn and put a hold order on Barn 5 at the Baltimore, Md. track as a precautionary measure. The Maryland Department of Agriculture is awaiting test results to determine if a horse stabled in the barn, which was euthanatized earlier this week, was infected.

Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) causes upper respiratory infection and can also cause neurological disease, which five other horses in Barn 5 have experienced.

The hold order affects the barn that houses horses trained by William Christmas, Charles Frock, Robert Gamber, Hassan Elamri, and David Mohan. Horses conditioned by those trainers are not allowed to race until further notice. Beginning tomorrow, the 40 horses remaining in the barn will be allowed to train from 10-11 a.m. The other 500 horses based at Pimlico will train from 5:30-9:30 a.m.

“The hold order, which restricts the movement of horses to and from the affected barn, is a precautionary measure to prevent any possible spread of illness among horses while we wait for diagnostic test results,” said Guy Hohenhaus, Maryland state veterinarian. “We are working with track management to keep the healthy horses in training while protecting the health of all other horses at the facility. They are athletes and need to stay in their routine as long as the investigation permits