The neurologic form of equine herpesvirus (EHV-1) was confirmed in a mare in North Carolina on Jan. 5. The horse, from a Rockingham County stable, was taken to the College of Veterinary Medicine at N.C. State University upon becoming ill and was directly quarantined to the equine isolation unit of the hospital. The horse was exhibiting symptoms of a neurological problem.
As a precaution, the N.C. State Equine and Farm Animal Veterinary Center is monitoring existing equine patients in the hospital and will only accept emergency cases for the next seven days.
“We have been fortunate that we’ve not seen this particular form of this common virus in North Carolina to date, even though it has been increasing in frequency throughout the country for almost a decade now,” said North Carolina State Veterinarian David Marshall, DVM. “We are working with the College of Veterinary Medicine and with the stable to implement biosecurity measures and minimize the risk of further spread.”
ADVERTISEMENT
“With the prior warning, we were able to take the horse directly from the farm into our separate isolation unit so no horses currently in our hospital were exposed,” said Sam Jones DVM, N.C. State University professor of equine medicine, in a statement on the CVM website. “We consulted with the State Veterinarian’s Office as well as with bio-security experts at Colorado State University who had previous experience with the virus. We are following our formal procedures for dealing with a highly contagious infectious disease, and a team of CVM veterinarians and veterinary technicians has been assigned exclusively to this case to further ensure the health of our other equine patients.”
Although it’s not transmissible to humans, EHV-1 is highly contagious among horses, and it is generally passed from horse to horse via aerosol transmission and contact with nasal secretions. The disease can cause a variety of ailments in equines, including rhinopneumonitis, abortion in broodmares and neurologic problems.
The N.C. State CVM is working with Marshall and the Veterinary Division in the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in a collaborative response to the case. A veterinarian or owner with specific questions may call (919) 513-6630.
