Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) was confirmed as the cause of illness in three Thoroughbreds stabled in a training barn at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky. The March 18 announcement of this fact followed treatment of EHV-1 outbreaks in Ohio and Pennsylvania since January. (See article #32 online for more on EHV.) All three Kentucky horses had fevers, and two of the horses developed neurologic signs.

Track president Bob Elliston said the Kentucky outbreak is unrelated to Ohio’s outbreaks or the EHV-1 outbreak at Penn National Race Course in Grantville, Penn., several weeks prior.

At press time, the third horse was recovering, and Barn 15 had been quarantined. Handlers were regularly taking the temperatures of all horses which had come in contact with horses in Barn 15, and looking for any signs of illness.

On March 19, Penn National lifted the quarantine of horses stabled in a barn where five horses tested positive for EHV-1 in February–two were euthanized, and three are recovering. No additional horses tested positive after Feb. 26. After the quarantine was lifted, the affected horses were not allowed to enter races for two weeks due to fitness concerns