A 5-year-old horse in Westampton, N.J. was euthanized on Feb. 14 after testing positive for equine herpes myeloencephalopathy.
The horse exhibited severe neurologic symptoms, including right facial paralysis, stumbling, and loss of front and rear muscle control. These are typical of EHM, which is a strain of equine herpes virus-1.
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The farm has been placed under a 21-day quarantine by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, and biosecurity measures are in place. Each horse on the premise is having its temperature checked twice daily, and no other horses have exhibited EHV-1 symptoms.
This diagnosis follows on the heels of two confirmed cases of EHV-1 in Virginia, but no known link exists between the cases.
