EHV-1 Alert & Information Page
Local Vets Share Information & Other Links

Links & Resources
USDA APHIS Government Website: Latest Updates, Fatalities, and Trends

AAEP: EHV-1 Info for Horse Owners

UC DAVIS Report
Full Report in PDF format.

BI Video

Linda Parelli Interview with Dr. Dwight Hooten, DVM
What Every Horse Owner Should Know about EHV-1

Our Local Vets Weigh In

EHV1 has been on the minds of horse owners all over the country recently as the epidemic hits horses and their owners in various locations in the US. Mostly on the west coast. As show season is in full swing and many national shows have either canceled their shows or are considering what they should do, BCHA has had numerous inquiries about the safety of our local horses at either local shows or national ones and how this epidemic may affect our horses we love at home.

In order to address that, we asked our local vets for their words of wisdom and recommendations. We are sharing that information with you here as well as on our website with additional resources they have shared with us and other sites or information we have seen that may be helpful to everyone who is concerned. We hope this information is both helpful and encouraging, but as always, if you have any concern for your horse that is medical in nature, please consult your vet. You and your vet working together is the best “army” a horse can have whether its through prevention or treatment.

Thank you to our equine veterinarians for their quick response to BCHA and their continued dedication to our four-leggeds!

FROM: Wynne DiGrassie, DVM
Mountain View Equine Hospital

The EHV 1 virus has been around for a long time including the neurologic form. The neurologic form is the most deadly and there is no specific vaccine for this form. The vaccine we use for the respiratory EHV 1 helps prevent the respiratory form but not the neurologic. The neurologic form appears to be a mutation of the respiratory form that creeps up from time to time. It is no different then when the influenza bug mutates in humans and we get an influenza that is not responsive to the vaccine they made that year. All of these viruses tend to mutate it is just a matter of when and where. So far it has been only out in the midwest but anyone that has come in contact with a horse that has been in those areas or at that show should be careful. You can test for it but if they are not shedding the virus you may not pick it up. It does incubate for 2-14 days but has been known to incubate up to 28 days. The signs are usually off feed and fever prior to any neurologic signs such as incoordination, weakness, dribbling urine, etc. If you have a horse with respiratory signs such as snotty nose, coughing, fever you should get them tested.

I feel it is still fine to show your horse. Just make sure they are up to date on the flu/rhino vaccine and maybe if they have not had it in 3 months and you are showing alot, you may want to rebooster. There are some vaccines that are more protective then others, so just talk to your vet about what to use.

Another good prevention is to quarantine new horses for 30 days, try to minimize horse nose to nose contact at shows and make sure you the owner are not the problem by going to a farm with sick horses and coming right home to your horse before cleaning up and changing shoes. Quarantine any horse with respiratory signs and do not allow movement of horses off the farm until you feel sure you are not dealing with a herpes virus. If you are concerned it is best to get your vet involved and he/she can guide you as to what to do for your specific situation.

(UC Davis Report attached.) You can use this brochure which is very comprehensive for people to see.

FROM: Julia Hecking, DVM
Blue Ridge Equine Clinic-Valley Division

There are two helpful websites attached. One is the UC Davis report, and one is a video done by BI (see resources at the end of this article). Another very helpful website with reputable infois www.aaep.org and they have a link on the side for ehv-1 info for horse owners.

The answers to your questions are:Is there a vaccine? Yes and no. There is a vaccine for ehv-1 (respiratory and abortion forms)-such as calvenza, prodigy, rhinommune, and pneumabort.
However, the neuro form is a mutation, therefore there is no vaccine labeled for the neuro form. We don’t know if there is cross-reactivity between other ehv vaccines available in terms of preventing the neuro form. Many of the horses that got the disease were vaccinated.

Is it safe to show your horse? As clients, you should check with your local veterinarians and show managers before going to shows to see what the status is. The good news is that the usda has been coordinating and monitoring the situation.

How do you prevent it? The key to prevention is quick action on the part of horse owners who have potentially infected horses-i/e if you have a horse that has been to a show that was of concern and they develop any clinical signs including a fever of 102, respiratory signs, or neurologic signs then let your veterianarian know immediately and quarantine that horse. there are instructions for how to quarantine a horse on the uc davis website-but essentially they need to be away from all other horses, all horses monitored for fever and strict sanitation between horses-change of clothes, wash hands, different muck buckets, etc.

The article you sent (one that has been shared conistently on the internet and on Facebook) has some accurate info (however, need to check on the infection and death rates at the various universities-they seem higher than what I last read, however, it seems to be done in a somewhat inflammatory manner such as to provoke fear and panic. This is a very serious situation, however, I think it is being well handled by veterinarians and the USDA. We should not let our guard down, however, we are somewhat safer in the fact that this all seems to be going on on the west coast and we are over here on the east coast. Please let me know if you have further questions.