As of March 2, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services reported six horses have tested positive in this outbreak of the equine herpes virus, or EHV-1, that began in mid-February.
The sixth horse to test positive is a horse from a second farm in Loudoun County. Officials are awaiting lab results on two additional horses. The latest positive test came from a horse that was at the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center, Leesburg, Va., for treatment when EHV-1 was detected in a horse at the center. The farm has been quarantined, along with nine other premises in Virginia, in an effort to control the spread of the virus from horses that possibly were exposed at the Medical Center. The horse showed signs of fever but did not develop neurological signs as did the other positive horses. He is stable and doing well.
On Feb. 27, one horse stabled in Hillsboro, Va., in Loudoun County tested positive for the virus and is recovering. This was the fifth horse from Virginia to test positive and the first positive result in Virginia outside of the Medical Center.
The Hillsboro horse had been at the medical center for treatment when EHV-1 was detected in a horse at the Medical Center.
Three horses tested positive at the Medical Center, and staff members are waiting for test results on two more horses that are showing symptoms of EHV-1 there. So far, two of the six horses that contracted EHV-1 have been euthanized, one at a convalescent center in Harford County, Md., and the other at the Medical Center.
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As of March 2, the Maryland Department of Agriculture has released hold orders on 11 of the 13 premises under quarantine. One conditional hold order remains and one full hold order remains on the premises in Harford County, where the positive case was located. As of Feb. 28, the 16 horses tested there had negative results.
Virginia State Veterinarian Richard Wilkes is guardedly optimistic that the virus has not spread to other animals in Virginia, but since the incubation period can vary from one to 10 days and horses may remain infectious for three to four weeks, only time will tell.
Wilkes continues to encourage equine activity planners to consider upcoming events carefully and to postpone all those non-essential.
The Virginia Intermont Classic, scheduled from March 8-11 at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, was cancelled due to the outbreak. Other Virginia Horse Show Association competitions on the associate calendar have been cancelled or rescheduled for later dates.
