Amador County – The California Department of Food & Agriculture announced Tuesday that 10 horses in California have contracted the neurological strain of the Equine Herpes Virus, including confirmed cases in Amador, Kern, Napa, Placer and Stanislaus counties.
CDFA Public Affairs Director Steve Lyle said: “One horse in Kern County was euthanized after showing severe neurological signs often associated with the disease. All of the infected horses recently attended the National Cutting Horse Association’s Western National Championships in Odgen, Utah on April 30 to May 8” where they “were most likely exposed to the virus.”
Lyle said “all California horses that have been in contact with an infected horse and show signs of disease or test positive for (the virus) will be placed under a CDFA quarantine in order to limit spread. This disease outbreak is evolving and CDFA will continue to investigate cases and provide updated information.”
Lyle said CDFA “contacted all 54 exhibitors from California who participated in the Odgen, Utah event and asked them to isolate and monitor their horses for clinical signs” of the virus. “A rectal temperature in excess of 102-degrees Fahrenheit commonly precedes other clinical signs” and “horse owners with potentially exposed horses are urged to take temperatures on each individual horse twice a day. If a temperature above 102F is detected, the horse’s private veterinarian should be contacted immediately for evaluation and laboratory testing.”
“Equine Herpes virus is a contagious disease and may spread quickly among horse populations,” Lyle said, but it “is not transmissible to humans.” It is spread by “horse-to-horse contact, aerosol transmission, and contaminated hands, equipment, tack and feed.”
Horses infected with the neurologic strain of the virus, may show clinical signs such as “nasal discharge, lack of coordination, hind-end weakness, lethargy, urine dribbling and diminished tail tone,” Lyle said. The neurological strain has no specific treatment, but other strains have various treatments. “Immediate separation and isolation of identified suspect cases and implementation of appropriate biosecurity measures are key elements for disease control.”
Lyle said: “Currently, there is no equine vaccine that has a label claim for protection against the neurologic strain of this virus.”
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
