The California Department of Food and Agriculture announced nine new cases of equine herpes virus type 1 since a mare from Tuolumne County tested positive for the virus on Sept. 12. Seven of the cases came from horses living at the same premises as the mare, which responded to treatment at a referral hospital and returned to the quarantined area. One of the seven was euthanized.
The CDFA also released information regarding an outbreak in California’s San Joaquin County.
“Two horses displaying compatible clinical signs were confirmed positive for the neuropathogenic strain of EHV-1,” the department’s statement read. “These two horses were exposed to the virus on Sept. 4-10, while visiting the Tuolumne County premises. Both horses have been isolated and the premises has been quarantined.”
The Tennessee State Veterinarian has placed the Equine Hospital at the University of Tennessee Veterinary Medical Center under a seven-day quarantine, effective Sept. 16. The quarantine was issued as a result of a positive case of EHV-1 discovered on Sept. 15.
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The quarantine is precautionary, as while there are no active cases of currently at the hospital, a horse that was brought in on Sept. 15 was euthanized several hours following its arrival after its condition quickly deteriorated. The horse was kept in a separate area of the hospital, and independent exams later revealed the animal tested positive for EHV-1.
The hospital intends to remain in voluntary quarantine after the initial seven days to further research the episode.
