As of Saturday (Dec. 16), five cases of equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) have been confirmed with laboratory testing from horses on a quarantined premises in the Wellington, Fla., area. Four additional premises have movement restrictions in place pending further laboratory testing. Three deaths and 15 clinical cases have been attributed to this disease. Six cases have had neurological signs. The index (or first case reported) was a horse imported from Europe though the USDA New York Animal Import Center. Animals on suspected or affected premises are being monitored for fever and other clinical signs on a daily basis and laboratory work is pending on additional cases.

State and Federal officials are working closely with veterinarians, owners, managers, and others in the affected equine industry to identify potentially exposed animals and suspect cases and to prevent further spread of the disease.

With the exception of the affected premises, there are no state or federal restrictions for horse movements into, within, or out of state of Florida.

Industry representatives and state and federal officials have agreed on a number of steps to contain this outbreak. These include the identification of potentially exposed animals with appropriate monitoring and biosecurity measures taken, isolation and treatment of suspected cases, and coordination of control efforts by industry and state and federal representatives. The close working relationship between cooperators, stakeholders, and the public is key to limiting the spread of this disease.

Although EHV-1 can be a serious disease of horses and the virus can spread through the air for respiratory infection, transmission generally requires direct or close contact between horses. Horses with clinical signs should be isolated and kept 40 feet or more from other horses.

Owners with sick horses should contact their private veterinarian to examine and treat their horses. Veterinarians suspecting EHV-1 with neurological signs are advised to contact state officials and follow protocols for collecting and submitting appropriate samples for laboratory diagnosis.

Vaccines are available and concerned owners should discuss whether vaccination of their animals is recommended, the type of vaccines available, and the frequency of recommended vaccination with their veterinarian. Vaccination in the face of an outbreak will probably not prevent infection but may lessen respiratory signs and reduce viral shedding with future exposure.

From the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Division of Animal Industry, www.doacs.state.fl.us/ai.

For more information on EHV-1, check out our free PDF library of EHV-related articles including images, or all our archived EHV-1 articles on TheHorse.com