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Published Date: 2011-06-09 13:03:41
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Equine herpesvirus, equine - North America (07)
Archive Number: 20110609.1750

EQUINE HERPESVIRUS, EQUINE - NORTH AMERICA (07)
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A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

In this posting:
[1] Canada (Saskatchewan)
[2], [3] USA (Texas)
[4] North America (USA, Canada)

******
[1] Canada (Saskatchewan)
Date: Wed 8 Jun 2011
From: Wendy Wilkins <wendy.wilkins@gov.sk.ca> [edited]

On 30 May 2011, nEHV-1 [neurotropic equine herpesvirus-1] was
confirmed in an 8-year-old quarter horse mare. This horse attending
the cutting horse show in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, Canada. This is
the only Saskatchewan case of EHV-1 to date linked to the outbreak
which is thought to have originated at a cutting horse show in Utah.

This mare began to show clinical signs 10 days after returning from
the Lloydminster show. Symptoms began with inappetence in the morning,
and quickly progressed over the day. Neurological signs included:
depression; head hanging; hind limb ataxia; poor tail tone; unable to
urinate; leaning and "lazy eye" on one side. At no point did the horse
become recumbent. The attending veterinarian classified symptoms as
severe. The mare has shown good response to supportive therapy and is
recovering well.

--
Wendy Wilkins, DVM PhD
Disease Surveillance Veterinarian
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
<wendy.wilkins@gov.sk.ca>

[Lloydminster in western Saskatchewan can be located via the
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Canada at
http://healthmap.org/r/0YqV. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]

******
[2] USA (Texas)
Date: Wed 8 Jun 2010
Source: Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) [edited]
http://www.tahc.state.tx.us/

Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) update
-----------------------------------
The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) has no new developments to
report regarding the one confirmed "isolated" case of the neurologic
form of EHV-1 in Ector County or the 26 horses in Texas that attended
the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Western National
Championships event held in Ogden, Utah, 30 Apr-8 May 2011. Barring
unforeseen circumstances, movement restrictions remaining on the last
9 of the 26 horses are expected to be lifted, Fri Jun 10 2011

Final Texas stats: 2 "confirmed cases"
1. Horse from New Mexico that attended the cutting event that sought
treatment at a Texas vet clinic (horse returned to premises of origin
and is recovering)
2. Quarter horse racehorse stabled in Ector County (unrelated to Utah
event)

TAHC officials advise Texas equine owners that they should feel free
to participate in horse shows, rodeos, and other equine related events
as "confirmed" and "suspect" cases of the neurological form of EHV-1
appear to have been be contained.

"Sufficient time has passed for most horses that may have been
exposed to the virus traced to the cutting event held in Ogden, Utah,
last month [May 2011]. Though none showed symptoms of the disease, the
few horses in Texas that tested positive will remain quarantined on
their premises and monitored closely until the virus shedding period
has passed," Dr Dee Ellis, State Veterinarian, said.

TAHC officials have maintained good communication with owners of the
affected horses and their stablemates. The horses have been isolated
and monitored closely the past few weeks by their owners and their
veterinarians. TAHC emphasizes the continued need for horse owners to
practice good biosecurity. Herpes viruses are common in horse
populations just as they are with humans. As a general rule of thumb,
all horse owners should always be vigilant in practicing good
biosecurity and hygiene to minimize the threat of disease.

Tips to help prevent the spread of EHV-1 include:
- Don't share equipment among horses. The virus can be spread through
objects such as water, feed buckets, or bridles.
- Prevent spreading the virus from horse to horse via hands and
clothing. People should thoroughly wash hands after handling one horse
and before handling another.

The USDA's EHV-1 situation report is available at
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/nahss/equine/ehv/ehv_2011_sitrep_060811.pdf.

This update will be the final EHV-1 report unless new situations
arise. For general EHV-1 biosecurity measures and suggestions for
horse owners and event organizers, visit
http://www.tahc.state.tx.us.

--
Ernie Morales
Chairman
Dee B Ellis, DVM, MPA
Executive Director
PO Box 12966, Austin, TX 78711-2966
USA

[The state of Texas can be seen on the HealthMap/ProMED-mail
interactive map at http://healthmap.org/r/0YqW. Ector County in
western Texas can be located on the map at
http://www.digital-topo-maps.com/county-map/texas.shtml. -
Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]

******
[3] USA (Texas)
Date: Wed 8 Jun 2011
Source: Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) [edited]
http://www.tahc.state.tx.us/animal_health/equine/EHV1BiosecurityMeasures.pdf

General equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) biosecurity measures
---------------------------------------------------------
Anytime horses are congregated at equine events, horse owners
increase the chance that their horses may be exposed to an infectious
disease agent. By following these simple guidelines you can help
minimize that risk.
- Consult your veterinarian to establish an appropriate vaccination
program for your horse(s)
- Tie your horse(s) to your trailer. If using a stall, clean and
disinfect it, if possible, before stalling your horse. Always use
clean, fresh bedding.
- Minimize your horse(s) having direct contact with unknown horses,
especially nose to nose contact.
- Use your own water and feed buckets. Avoid letting your horse(s)
drink from a communal water trough. Fill water buckets from a faucet.
- Do not share grooming equipment or tack. If you must, then wash and
disinfect it before returning to your own horse(s).
- Avoid petting and touching other horses in order to minimize the
risk of transferring a disease back to your horse. If you must handle
other horses then wash your hands or use hand sanitizer.
- Avoid letting strangers pet your horse especially if they have
horses of their own.
- Before returning home from an event clean up your equipment (boots,
tack, grooming supplies, buckets, etc.) to help reduce the risk of
transporting an infectious agent back home. Consider washing and
disinfecting your trailer when you return home.
- If possible, isolate your returning horses for 2 weeks or at least
prevent nose to nose contact with your other horses.

Don't forget to consult your veterinarian concerning these and other
steps you can follow, which may reduce the risk of your horse
acquiring an infectious disease while traveling.

Biosecurity suggestions for event organizers
--------------------------------------------
- Minimize nose-to-nose contact between horses where possible.
- Minimize spread by human hands (limit public access, provide hand
sanitizer, establish restricted areas in front of stalls and trailers,
post hand-washing signs).
- Minimize spread by shared tack (post signs advising participants
not to share equipment).
- Solid, high-walled stalls are ideal to minimize spread of
infectious nasal droplets.
- For multi-day events, consider implementation of a "No Fever"
Policy. For more details see the following references:
http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/AHID/equine_herpes_virus.shtml
http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/animal_health/equine_herpes_virus.html

--
Ernie Morales
Chairman
Dee B. Ellis, DVM, MPA
Executive Director
PO Box 12966, Austin, TX 78711-2966
USA

[All round very sound advice. - Mod.MHJ]

******
[4] North America (USA, Canada)
Date: Wed 8 Jun 2011
Source: The Horse [edited]
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=18364

EHV-1 outbreak: case counts remain unchanged
--------------------------------------------
There were no new cases of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) reported to
state and provincial animal health officials today [8 Jun 2011],
marking the 2nd day in a row the number of confirmed cases remained
steady. The point of origin for the related outbreak is thought to be
an Ogden, Utah, cutting horse championship competition that ended a
month ago [8 May 2011].

"The vast majority of horse owners in Oregon and in the Pacific
Northwest should feel free to participate in horse shows, rodeos, and
other equine events as a recent outbreak of the neurological form of
equine herpesvirus appears to be well contained," read a statement on
the Oregon Department of Agriculture's website today. "The few horses
that have shown symptoms of the disease will remain quarantined in
their barns or stalls and monitored closely until it is clear the
virus is no longer present."

"While we appear to be out of the current episode, herpes viruses in
general are common in horse populations as they are in human
populations," State veterinarian Don Hansen, DVM, said in the
statement. "It's always a good idea to take steps that minimize the
threat of disease. That was the case before the recent outbreak and
will continue to be the case in the future."

Although it's not transmissible to humans, EHV-1 is highly contagious
among horses and camelids, and it is generally passed from horse to
horse via aerosol transmission (when affected animals sneeze/cough)
and contact with nasal secretions. The disease can cause a variety of
ailments in equines, including rhinopneumonitis (a respiratory disease
usually found in young horses), abortion in broodmares, and
myeloencephalopathy (EHM, the neurologic form). Myeloencephalopathy is
characterized by fever, ataxia (incoordination), weakness or paralysis
of the hind limbs, and incontinence.

Likewise, the Utah Department of Agriculture has encouraged horse
owners in the state to participate in regularly scheduled events. The
department also noted that good biosecurity practices be followed at
all times in an attempt to prevent another EHV-1 outbreak.

At press time (4:00 p.m. EDT), the case counts remained the same in
the following states and provinces:
- Alberta (Canada): 10 positives (4 horses had no clinical signs but
tested positive through laboratory testing, 3 had respiratory signs,
and 3 displayed neurologic signs; 1 horse has died; however, it's
unclear if that horse was neurologic or not)
- Arizona (USA): 11 positives (1 euthanized after developing
neurologic signs; clinical signs of other cases not reported)
- British Columbia (Canada): 2 positives (clinical signs not
reported)
- California (USA): 21 positives (8 displayed neurologic signs [2 of
which were euthanized] and 13 horses have only been febrile)
- Colorado (USA): 9 positives (6 horses have shown neurologic signs;
the remaining 3 have displayed respiratory signs and/or a fever)
- Idaho (USA): 8 positives (4 EHV-1 positive horses have displayed
neurologic signs [2 were euthanized]; the rest have only displayed a
fever)
- Montana (USA): 0 positives
- Nebraska (USA): 0 positives
- Nevada (USA): 3 positives (2 have displayed neurologic signs)
- New Mexico (USA): 4 positives (USDA Situation Report indicates 2
have been euthanized; clinical signs not reported for other horses)
- North Dakota (USA): 0 positives
- Oklahoma (USA): 1 positive (displayed mild neurologic signs)
- Oregon (USA): 5 positives (1 euthanized with neurologic signs; 4
showing no clinical signs)
- Saskatchewan (Canada): 1 positive (no information about clinical
signs released)
- South Dakota (USA): 1 positive (clinical signs not reported)
- Texas (USA): 1 positive (officials believe it is not related to the
outbreak, but is an isolated case) [note above that Texas now reports
2 "confirmed cases."]
- Utah (USA): 8 positives (2 euthanized after becoming recumbent, or
unable to rise; clinical signs associated with the other confirmed
cases were not reported)
- Washington (USA): 8 positives (4 did not display clinical signs;
signs associated with other cases not reported)
- Wyoming (USA): 0 positives

[Byline: Erica Larson]

[So far so good. I am sure that there will continue to be some
statistical tidying up of the numbers of cases, which is always the
case. But the present total is of the order of some 91 cases, plus or
minus. And we should remember that though epidemics resulting from
contacts at horse shows catch the headlines, this infection is a
background threat anywhere and owners and their veterinarians should
always be on the watch. Better to be dealing with it inside the gate
than on the highways. - Mod.MHJ

See Also