Equine Herpesvirus Quarantines Lifted

All equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) quarantines in Connecticut have been lifted. The virus had first been identified at an equine hospital in Newtown and then within at the University of Connecticut.

On December 24, 2006, a horse at Fairfield Equine Associates in Newtown tested positive for the disease. On January 9, 2007, EHV-1 was detected in horses at the University of Connecticut. As a result, the university quarantined its herd of 80 horses, and instituted biosecurity procedures.

The quarantine at Fairfield Equine Associates was lifted and it reopened for business on January 22. During the time of the voluntary quarantine, the hospital did not admit any horses as out- or in-patients. Staff members instead saw horses at surrounding stables, eliminating any exposure to the infected horse at the hospital. Also, Fairfield Equine made arrangements with a local hospital for surgical and emergency care should that became necessary.

As of Monday, March 5, the quarantine at the University of Connecticut was also lifted. State Veterinarian Mary Jane Lis, DVM, MS, PhD, released the herd from quarantine after follow-up testing indicated all of the exposed horses were negative for the virus. Originally, 23 horses within the herd had shown clinical signs of EHV-1 infection. Of those, five exhibited neurological signs of the disease.

Due to the outbreak on the UConn Campus, a decision was made in January to cancel a horse symposium scheduled to be held at UConn on March 24 and 25. A conference on equine health and management will instead take place on Saturday, March 24, from 10 am to 4 pm; visit CTHorseCouncil.com for details.

The UConn appearance of the virus also affected a planned Connecticut Department of Agriculture sale of rescued horses scheduled to take place at the UConn polo arena on January 20. That sale had been postponed until the quarantine has been lifted, and a new date was not yet set as of this writing.

The rescued animals are being housed at the department’s Large Animal Rescue Facility, but had no exposure to the UConn horses, according to a press release issued on January 10 by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture.

Horses usually recover from the disease, which causes respiratory infections in young horses. EHV-1 travels through the air, and produces flulike symptoms such as upper respiratory infections and a high fever. It can be passed through shared tack and barn equipment, even by human hands and clothing.

In severe cases, it can attack a horse’s nervous system and affect coordination and balance and can even lead to death. Six horses in Florida were euthanized in December after having contracted the same virus.

The virus does not pose a health hazard for humans.

The horse at Fairfield Equine arrived in Newtown from a small barn in Vermont on December 13, had surgery on December 19, and it was five days later, on December 24, that his fever started and was quickly identified as EHV-1.