Equine herpesvirus has been confirmed in a horse stabled at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md., says an Associated Press story on www.bloodhorse.com (https://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=31893).  The disease has led to the euthanasia of two horses at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., and a full quarantine of that track, which is about 25 miles away from Laurel Park.

The horse, an outrider’s horse, hasn’t shown clinical signs of the disease and it’s uncertain whether the horse is shedding the virus or has simply been exposed to it. The horse has been moved to Pimlico for “isolation and further testing.”

According to the article, at least 11 Pimlico horses have shown signs of the virus in January. Guy Hohenhaus, DVM, state veterinarian for the Maryland Department of Agriculture, explained that quarantines aren’t released until 21 days after the last clinical sign of the disease is evident, so the quarantine at Pimlico is expected to continue through at least mid-February.

Besides horses from Pimlico not being allowed to race at Laurel, several states have restricted travel of horses to Maryland, so the numbers of horses racing at Laurel are limited. Officials have said the virus might also affect racing dates at Pimlico, where the season begins in mid-April