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Skip Navigation LinksAll Horse Topics > Infectious Diseases > Potomac Horse Fever


Articles ( * = TheHorse.com members only )Date Posted
Summer is Prime Time for Potomac Horse Fever  *
With summer just around the corner, now is the time to vaccinate horses against Potomac horse fever (PHF). "Horse owners need to be aware of the disease and its seasonality," said Julia Wilson, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, associate professor of large animal medicine at the University of Minnesota. PHF is a potentially deadly disease that can cause mild depression, ... Read full story
 4/24/2009
Vaccination Yearly Planner  *
Immunizations are the cornerstone of disease prevention if given appropriately and in a timely manner. One of the brightest spots of equine medical care for horses is the availability of many safe and effective vaccines to protect horses from infectious and noninfectious diseases. Sometimes it is confusing as to which ones your horse might need. Let's ... Read full story
 1/1/2009
Missouri Vets Report Surge in Potomac Horse Fever Cases  *
Potomac horse fever, a potentially fatal disease, has been reported among horses in the St. Louis, Mo., area in unusually high numbers. Philip Johnson, BVSc, MRCVS, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, a veterinarian at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine who is specializing in equine medicine and surgery, said he has treated six cases of Potomac ... Read full story
 8/19/2008
Equestrian Center Reports 3 Cases of Potomac Horse Fever  *
Three cases of Potomac horse fever were reported in July at the Star Equestrian Center on Greencastle Pike near Hagerstown, Md. Ginny Gaylor, director of the Star Equestrian Center, said one of the horses was put down. None the center's horses are infected with the disease at this time, she said. Potomac horse fever is spread to horses by aquatic ... Read full story
 8/10/2008
Potomac Horse Fever: Don't Ignore Fevers!  *
Summer and fall are key seasons for the appearance of Potomac horse fever, which is caused by the bacterium Neorickettsia risticii. Don't be fooled by the name; Potomac horse fever originally was identified in 1979 as a sporadic disease affecting horses residing in the eastern United States near the Potomac River, but since that time it has been diagnosed ... Read full story
 7/7/2008
Vaccination Guidelines  *
Spring means vaccination time. In 2008, the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Infectious Disease Committee released a revised online version of their "Guidelines for the Vaccination of Horses." Developing a vaccination schedule is not as straightforward as it sounds. So much of what you should vaccinate for depends upon such factors ... Read full story
 4/21/2008
Vaccination, Early Recognition Key with Potomac Horse Fever   *
The name is deceiving, but Potomac horse fever (PHF) is not just a concern for horses near the Potomac River. Cases have been found across most of the United States.1 Knowing the key signs of PHF and watching carefully for them can help alert owners to protect healthy horses that might be at risk. "Every veterinarian and horse owner worries about ... Read full story
 4/17/2008
PHF Vaccine Efficacy: Better Safe than Sorry?
Has there been new research completed on the available vaccines for Potomac horse fever (PHF) or are they what veterinarians gave years ago? A person told me that there has been no new research on Potomac horse fever vaccines that we use today. Are our vaccines up-to-date as far as preventatives? Do our horses need a PHF vaccine, or are we wasting ... Read full story
 8/1/2007
Potomac Horse Fever Cases Popping Up in Ohio   *
Cases of Potomac horse fever (PHF) are starting to appear in Ohio, according to Catherine Kohn, VMD, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, professor in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at The Ohio State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. The hospital has recently seen three cases and diagnosed another via mail-in sample. One horse was euthanatized ... Read full story
 7/15/2007
Potomac Horse Fever  *
Potomac horse fever (PHF) is a disease that affects horses during warm weather months, occasionally causing outbreaks of diarrheal illness in horses that are kept near rivers, streams, or in irrigated pastures. The bacterium responsible for the disease, Neorickettsia risticii, has an unusual history: it has been identified in flukes (flatworms) that ... Read full story
 7/1/2007
Avoid Mayflies to Minimize PHF Risk  *
Minimizing your horse’s risk of contracting Potomac horse fever (PHF) might be as simple as shutting off the lights. Mayflies—swarms of which are common in Southeast Minnesota and adjacent areas of Wisconsin—were incriminated as a vector of PHF during a 2005 outbreak in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Julia Wilson, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, an associate professor ... Read full story
 6/30/2007
Potomac Horse Fever: A Review  *
By Nathan M. Slovis DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, CHT, director, McGee Medical Center, and reprinted with permission from the Kentucky Equine Education Project newsletter Potomac horse fever (PHF) is a bacterial disease that can affect horses of any age. PHF made headlines in the 1980s, when an outbreak of diarrhea in the Potomac River area of Maryland drew attention ... Read full story
 6/21/2007
AAEP Convention 2006: Medicine  *
Uplifting Applications for UC Davis Large Animal Lift John Madigan, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, professor of medicine and epidemiology and section chief of equine medicine at the University of California, Davis, developed the UC Davis Large Animal Lift (LAL) with colleagues over the last several years. He reported on the lift's applications and success ... Read full story
 3/1/2007
Vigilance Key in Managing for PHF  *
Tennessee Cases Increase Potomac horse fever (PHF) probably has been endemic in the Western Hemisphere as long as horses have inhabited the region—perhaps even since the prehistoric era--and it's here to stay. As awareness of the disease increases, so does the need to remain vigilant in managing horses to reduce the incidence, and severity, of cases. ... Read full story
 11/26/2006
13 Kentucky Potomac Horse Fever Cases  *
A few cases of Potomac horse fever (PHF) occur each fall in Kentucky. This year they were detected earlier than normal. Nathan Slovis, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Ky., said the early occurrence probably was due to the dry weather in July and August. "It's nothing new or crazy," said Slovis. "We usually ... Read full story
 10/1/2006
13 Kentucky Potomac Horse Fever Cases Confirmed  *
A few cases of Potomac horse fever (PHF) occur each fall in Kentucky. This year, a few cases have been seen, but they occurred a little earlier than normal. Nathan Slovis, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, said the early occurrence probably was due to the dry weather the past month. "It's nothing new or crazy," said Slovis. ... Read full story
 8/12/2006
Vets Watch for Hurricane-Related Illnesses  *
With water pooling in places that it normally doesn't and sharp debris all around, horse owners can't help but wonder if conditions left by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita will cause an increase in the reports of illnesses such as tetanus, encephalitis, botulism, and Potomac horse fever. Area veterinarians say they haven’t seen an increase of horses exhibiting ... Read full story
 10/12/2005
Potomac Horse Fever Outbreak in New York  *
Potomac Horse fever (PHF) season is now underway in New York. "There are no actual numbers for the (amount of) disease because it is spread out," according to Jenny Gold, DVM, an equine veterinarian in the large animal clinic at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, N.Y. Some veterinarians say they have heard of at least 30 horses ... Read full story
 8/25/2004
Potomac Horse Fever in Oklahoma   *
The death of at least one Oklahoma horse has been definitively linked to Potomac horse fever (PHF), a disease rarely found in the state. Two of her stablemates likely died of the same illness. The horse manager at the farm with the confirmed case said 11 other horses in the area have died with similar clinical signs, but blood and tissue samples from ... Read full story
 10/1/2003
Detecting PHF in Oklahoma; Behind the Headlines  *
The recent confirmation of Potomac horse fever (PHF) in an Oklahoma horse was possible because of relatively new--and inexpensive--testing techniques that help speed diagnose of the disease. This allows horse owners to be alerted to the active presence of the disease's causative agent in their area. Recognition of the disease in areas unused to seeing ... Read full story
 9/2/2003
PHF in Oklahoma  *
The death of at least one Oklahoma horse has been definitively linked to Potomac horse fever (PHF), a disease rarely found in the state, and two of her stablemates likely died of the same illness. The horse manager at the farm with the confirmed case said that 11 other horses in the area have died following similar clinical signs and debilitation, ... Read full story
 8/25/2003
Vaccination Protocols and Internal Parasite Controls  *
Preventing infectious diseases and parasites from attacking our horses are primary concerns for every horse owner. James D. Smith, DVM, a practitioner at Hagyard-Davidson-McGee Associates, PLLC, in Lexington, Ky., and Craig Reinemeyer, DVM, PhD, president of East Tennessee Clinical Research in Knoxville, Tenn., provided invaluable insight into how ... Read full story
 7/29/2003
AAEP Convention: Kester News Hour   *
Probably the best-attended session of the AAEP annual convention, the Kester News Hour provides brief reports of studies that were too new or too brief to be included in the longer scientific sessions. Larry Bramlage, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, the president-elect of the AAEP and a surgeon at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky.; and John Madigan, ... Read full story
 3/1/2003
AAEP 2002: Kester News Hour  *
Probably the best-attended session of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) annual convention, the Kester News Hour provides brief reports of studies that were too new or too brief to be included in the longer scientific sessions. Larry Bramlage, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, the president-elect of the AAEP and a surgeon at the Rood and Riddle ... Read full story
 2/3/2003
No Live Foal Guarantees  *
Subconsciously, you've been holding your breath for months. From the moment your mare was confirmed in foal, it's been a tense waiting game. And although she will be foaling soon, you know a healthy foal is still anything but a given. Between breeding and her foaling date lurk a few dozen tragic ways in which she could lose her foal. Whether you call ... Read full story
 2/1/2003
More Kentucky Potomac Horse Fever Cases   *
Two additional cases of Potomac horse fever (PHF) have been confirmed at Hagyard-Davidson-McGee (HDM) veterinary hospital in Lexington, Ky., bringing the clinic's total to five confirmed cases since the end of July. Two other PHF cases previously were reported at Lexington's Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital. Typically, Kentucky veterinarians see only ... Read full story
 10/1/2002
Potomac Horse Fever Fatality in Kentucky   *
A Thoroughbred filly in central Kentucky recently succumbed to Potomac horse fever (PHF), a disease that is detected only once or twice per year in the Commonwealth. The cause of death was a mystery until test results were received from the University of Kentucky Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center (LDDC) on June 27. Potomac horse fever first hit ... Read full story
 9/1/2002
More Kentucky Potomac Horse Fever Cases Confirmed  *
Two additional cases of Potomac horse fever (PHF) have been confirmed at Hagyard-Davidson-McGee (HDM) veterinary hospital in Lexington, Ky., bringing the clinic’s total to five confirmed cases since the end of July. Two other PHF cases previously were reported at Lexington’s Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital. Typically, Kentucky veterinarians see only ... Read full story
 8/15/2002
Watch For Potomac Horse Fever in Kentucky  *
Four additional cases of Potomac horse fever (PHF) have been confirmed at two veterinary hospitals in Lexington, Ky. Three of the cases were treated at Hagyard-Davidson-McGee (HDM) Veterinary Hospital, where two of the horses are recovering, and one was euthanized. Tests are pending on four other horses at HDM, with their symptoms resembling those ... Read full story
 8/8/2002
Potomac Horse Fever Fatality in Kentucky  *
A Thoroughbred filly in Central Kentucky recently succumbed to Potomac horse fever (PHF), a disease that is detected only once or twice per year in the Commonwealth. The cause of death was a mystery until test results were received from the University of Kentucky Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center (LDDC) on June 27. Potomac horse fever first hit ... Read full story
 7/18/2002
Potomac Horse Fever Breakthrough  *
Potomac horse fever was an equine disease shrouded in mystery. Scientists knew what caused the illness--the bacterium Ehrlichia risticii--but its source in Nature could not be found. No one knew how horses became infected. Until now. An article that appears in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Microbiology offers strong evidence that freshwater ... Read full story
 10/5/2001
Vaccinations for Horses  *
Vaccines have been true godsends the world over. Diseases that once laid waste to large segments of the human population now are held in check by vaccines. One of those killing diseases, smallpox, has been eradicated. Much the same has happened in the equine population, although perhaps in less dramatic terms--that is until just recently. The current ... Read full story
 4/1/1999
Potomac Breakthrough: A Fluke Larva  *
Potomac horse fever was an equine disease shrouded in mystery. Scientists knew what caused the illness--the bacterium Ehrlichia risticii--but its source in nature could not be found. No one knew how horses became infected. Until now. An article that appears in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Microbiology offers strong evidence that freshwater ... Read full story
 9/4/1998




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