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Anyone Know How Many Horses Have Tested Positive for PHF in Northern Virginia?

I’ve been googling it, and checked the morven emc website, but haven’t found any recent numbers. I checked the Equine Disease Communication Center website and it doesn’t list any cases. Is it dozens? Hundreds? thanks.

I don’t think it’s reportable so I doubt you’ll get any reliable numbers (would love to be proven wrong, though!). I think if you’re worried just spring for the extra booster.

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I am going to ask a curiosity question - why do you want this number?

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I’m asking becuz I’ve been getting emails from different vets and see a lot of vets posting on FB about the PHF being active. So I’m thinking “OMG is it dozens of horses getting sick? or just a few? or hundreds?”

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Since it’s not a reportable disease, you’re not likely to get any useful number

I found some articles citing outbreaks in TN, but not Va. It IS the season, so it’s likely that things could be on the uptick, especially if it’s been wet lately

it’s VERY unlikely to be 100s. It’s just not that kind of disease, unless maybe there are large numbers of horses on single properties sharing the same water sources

A dozen or so is feasible, depending on local conditions and the environment.

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Have a chat with your own vet. I did this just recently. Although I’m in an area (ON, Canada!) that has very few cases ever, my horse is stabled about 25 minutes from a farm that has had multiple cases. In my horse’s case, she is stabled where there is no standing water, no creeks or rivers, and I’ve never seen a mayfly or so much as a snail on the property.

The vet reassured me that unless my horse was travelling to that farm (or anywhere else that may have/have had cases) then not to worry about vaccinating because that one place was the only place in their entire range that had ever had a case.

So, if it’s a case of deciding on vaccination or not, talk to your vet.

If not, well, um, don’t waste your vet’s time if you’re just being nosy and just keep following along on FB for snippets of information. :slight_smile:

I have a friend on ON who works at a decent sized barn, and every year there are several cases just at that barn. She has other local friends who also deal with PHF most years. Maybe your vet has only ever had clients at 1 barn with PHF, but there are more barns in ON that have dealt with PHF, some on a near-yearly basis

I personally know of one case in NoVa area and a couple possible cases scattered in the NoVa MD area.

I doubt there are a ton of cases but I’m giving the booster. My vet is advising to get it.

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It is very area dependent. Ontario is a huge province! I’m only reporting on my tiny little area.

Years ago I used to vax for it due to area my horse was located and travel.

Thanks, I obviously read it differently :slight_smile:

FWIW, our barn just decided to give an extra booster due to the increase in local cases. To me, the cost-benefit analysis is easy. Barring a horse known to have vaccine reactions, why would anyone hesitate?

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