Colorado issues new travel requirements
Some reassuring news on the Alberta cases
May 17, 2011: Veterinarian EHV-1 Conference Call Update In Alberta
The Equine veterinarians in Alberta who are involved in the EHV-1 situation had a conference call today. To confirm, there is 1 confirmed case of EHV-1 in Alberta. Two horses that were in contact have been tested and are confirmed negative as of today (May 17th,2011), on both blood and nasal PCR testing.
There are two other horses with mild temperature increases that are still being tested. There are NO Deaths in Alberta as of May 17th,2011. The horse that tested positive is being treated well and is recovering from Mild neurologic signs.
It was the consensus of the 7 veterinarians on the conference call that non cutting or reining competitions are at a very low risk at this time.
We recommend that owners follow common sense Biosecurity precautions. We will post a Biosecurity link as soon as possible for your reference.
This group of Veterinarians will be monitoring this situation daily and are planning another call early Friday May 20th,2011 in Alberta.
- Greg Andrews, DVM
Thanks for posting information.
FWIW, we just talked to our repro vet ( Dr Deb Steele) and it turns out they had a horse competing in Ogden and it is in isolation right now (so far not showing any symptoms). According to her, the original horse that died in Ogden was from Spruce Grove, AB.
I don’t really understand how something like this is ever “low risk”. Last time I checked there are a few showgrounds in Alberta that host 95 percent of all the horse shows here from cutting shows to dressage shows ect. This stuff can live in a horse trailer for 21 days! They should be urging the industry to virtually shut down for three weeks to let this blow over. Acting like this is not big deal unless you own a cutting horse is just going to allow for the spread of the disease and for more death. Our vet (who had the horse at Ogden) said this is a terribly virulant mutation of the EHV 1 virus, not something to be taken lightly as far as I am concerned.
And from the Chief Provincial Veterinarian (Alberta)
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2491331/nehv1.pdf
I think they want people to remain calm. They do encourage people to take sensible precautions, but life should not be coming to a stand still. This disease has been migrating around for a while now and typical of every disease once in a while it breaks out and has a heyday and then it settles back down to little pockets again. I figure it won’t be long and this will just become yet another disease in mainstream horse society. There was a huge panic at the onset of West Nile and now after 10 or so years, everyone considers it to be mainstream. There are a lot of brilliant biologists and virologists out there and I have no doubt they will find a way to make a vaccine that works for nEHV1.
[QUOTE=Molly Malone;5611752]
Colorado issues new travel requirements
If colorado is turning away each horse without a permit to enter the state, it’s not “low risk”. :no:
[QUOTE=back in the saddle;5612158]
If colorado is turning away each horse without a permit to enter the state, it’s not “low risk”. :no:[/QUOTE]
Furthermore, if this strain is not covered by vaccinations, what does a permit prove? Esp. if using interstate transport for mares/foal sales etc. I understand about the precautions, washing down trailers and stalls (which should be standard), and still see this spread so quickly and so far reaching is pretty concerning.
Permits should be required at all times of travel interstate or interprovincial so having them check for a permit should not be a shock. You need the horse inspected by a vet to get the permit. I don’t think this outbreak has changed the need for permits, just that they’re watching more carefully the flow of horses so they can monitor the direction this outbreak is taking.
Alberta has required a permit to take a horse out of province for quite some time, I believe since at least 2009. This is all part of Canada’s Livestock Identification Program.
I am not encouraging people to panic, but this disease is extremely deadly and extremely contagious and if people believe that just because they are not at cutting shows that they are safe they may be in for a real big surprise. Like I said, my repro vet has a horse from Ogden sitting in her stablen (albeit in quarentine now) and we would have taken our mare and foal there without even knowing about this had we not found out about this yesterday.
I know that right now, at this moment, " non cutting’ barns may be low risk. But the risk IS still there and could be growing as we speak. I can’t understand how showing, breeding ect can be that important to anyone. If the idea of dealing with that disease doesn’t send shivers down your spine, I don’t know what will.
Like they say “an ounce of prevention…”
"State veterinarian Dr. Bruce King stressed horse owners need to know the disease is treatable and animals can recover if veterinarians are involved early on in medical treatments that include administration of anti-inflammatories.
The disease does not spread to humans and is not sexually transmitted, but rather horses get it by touching noses or through contact with infected tack or equipment."
This was a link provided, with thanks to Eric Lamaze, from which I copied the above quote:
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705372812/Horse-herpes-leads-to-cancellation-of-shows.html?s_cid=fb_shareYes.
Often multiple barns sometimes in adjoining states are quarantined. Commonly spread at Horse Shows and the tracks.
Many shows require a health certificate, proof of vac and a coggins test. Interstate equine travel rules vary but most states require documentation.
Some facilities like Saratoga have very strict guidelines.
The above requirements are nothing new. Everyone should have been aware of these outbreaks and simple quarantine procedures that prevent the spread of the virus.
Most of the time the disease is not the neuro or fatal variety and regular vacs can prevent those cases. But some owners don’t bother to vac and contribute to the problem.
[QUOTE=rodawn;5612322]
Permits should be required at all times of travel interstate or interprovincial so having them check for a permit should not be a shock. You need the horse inspected by a vet to get the permit. I don’t think this outbreak has changed the need for permits, just that they’re watching more carefully the flow of horses so they can monitor the direction this outbreak is taking.
Alberta has required a permit to take a horse out of province for quite some time, I believe since at least 2009. This is all part of Canada’s Livestock Identification Program.[/QUOTE]
DUH! Did anyone say anythign about it being “a shock”? :rolleyes: Permits are required here as well. This is an above the standard permit requirement specifically for this current outbreak. Apparantly you didn’t read or “get” what it said? It shows how serious Colorado thinks it is. That was my point.
From The Horse
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=18258
and
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=18253
From Equinews:
[QUOTE=VirginiaBred;5612534]
From The Horse
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=18258
and
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=18253
From Equinews:
http://www.equinews.com/article/equine-herpesviruses[/QUOTE]
So VB< are we going to Devon?
well, I made the decision that I am not going to any shows or hauling out for the next 3 weeks. The barn where I board was really encouraging us to stay home, but we could have hauled out to shows if we want, however, when we came back my horse would be in isolation and in all honesty, would that really be fair to him?
Plus our farm is pretty much a “closed” herd, with my guy really being one of the only ones that travels to clinics and shows, why would I be so selfish as to risk the other horses health as well as my own?
Plus at the one show grounds, there is supposed to be a show there this weekend, and you have no control over who had that stall before you nor do you know who had it assigned to them at the last show. Yes, the bedding may have been stripped but when was the last time it was disinfected???
We have 1 mare at the farm who is due to foal in around mid-June, so again why expose them to more risk?
Yes, it may be treatable but what if your horse doesn’t respond to the treatment???
:)YES!!!
I will be there Wednesday - Friday next week and the following week for Hunter Breeding!
Will I see you? 
[QUOTE=VirginiaBred;5612534]
From The Horse
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=18258
and
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=18253
From Equinews:
http://www.equinews.com/article/equine-herpesviruses[/QUOTE]
So the articles do not mention that this is considered a mutant strain…that current vaccines are ineffective. Id like to see the original report that suggested that and that there was no ‘cure’. That is something to consider with permits… if it is true that UTD vaccines have no relevancy then that would explain why CO is taking extra steps. Im quite aware of the requirement for proof of vac, coggins etc…that was not the point. It sounds like this outbreak is beyond that scope.
[QUOTE=Donella;5612325]
I know that right now, at this moment, " non cutting’ barns may be low risk. But the risk IS still there and could be growing as we speak.[/QUOTE]
How can anyone believe that “non cutting barns” are at low risk - with farriers, vets, hay suppliers, feed suppliers, etc., going from barn to barn? In our area, we even have grooms and stall cleaners that work at several different barns every day. I would think the only barns at low risk are those where NO ONE is going in and out except minimal personnel who observe strict biosecurity protocols.
I didn’t think ANY vaccine covered the neurological strain? So vaccination is really a moot point here anyway, isn’t it? 
Caitlin
