The United Kingdom’s Animal Health Trust (AHT) has detailed the country’s EHV-1 outbreak that began in early March. At least 12 horses have been euthanized due to advanced neurologic deterioration resulting from infection.

The first reported cases were detected in Gloucestershire. Two Thoroughbreds showed neurologic signs on March 12-13. Both had rapid progression of hindlimb ataxia (incoordination), paralysis, and recumbency (unable to rise). The horses had to be euthanized. According to the AHT, post-mortem examination “revealed vascular lesions in the brain and spinal cord typical of EHV-1 myeloencephalopathy.” The virus was isolated from a nasal swab on a third horse at that stable which showed transient ataxia, and a fourth horse tested positive for the virus, but had no clinical signs. No more cases have appeared in the Gloucestershire area