Horse owners urged to take precautions against EHV-1
Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine is closely monitoring the recent and ongoing outbreak of Equine Herpesvirus (EHV-1) in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. While no cases of EHV-1 have been reported in Alabama at this time, EHV-1 is highly contagious and is primarily spread though horse-to-horse contact via respiratory secretions, aerosolized droplets or indirect contact with contaminated equipment, feed, tack, water buckets and human hands or clothing.
Signs of EHV-1 include:
- A fever in excess of 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit
- Coughing
- Nasal discharge
- Neurological abnormalities that may include ataxia, toe dragging, hindlimb weakness, incontinence or a “dog-sitting” posture.
If you observe any of these signs, please contact your primary care veterinarian immediately and have your horse examined.
The Vaughan Large Animal Teaching Hospital has implemented extra precautions during this time that will help the staff to identify any exposed/at-risk horses before they are admitted to hospital. This includes but is not limited to additional questions surrounding travel of horses, immediate physical examination on arrival, and close monitoring of our hospitalized patients.
Equine owners represent an important line of defense against the spread of EHV-1. Precautions include:
- Isolating horses that have recently traveled to Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana, or other locations where horses from these events may have also traveled, from all other horses for a minimum of 21 days after their return to Alabama
- Twice-per-day monitoring for clinical signs of EHV-1
- Limiting unnecessary travel for horses, especially those with recent travel to regions with reported cases
- Disinfecting shared equipment and surfaces with appropriate virucidal products
The American Association of Equine Practitioners offers a variety of resources to help horse owners understand the clinical signs of EHV-1 and steps to prevent it:
https://aaep.org/resource/client-education-presentation-equine-herpesvirus/