EHV1 outbreak information

[HeartsongHorses]

[QUOTE=JustTrails;5609133]

I’m seeing the panic build already. One vet refused to drive on to Ted Robinson’s property, because he had just returned from that show in B’field. The vet met him at the edge of the property, gave him meds, and left.[/QUOTE]

This doesn’t sound like “blind panic” to me. With a disease as easily passed on things like shoes, and other surfaces, why would you ask that vet put his other clients in jeopardy?

If he were my vet I wouldn’t expect anything different. Bringing a sick horse into a controlled environment like a vet hospital is vastly different than walking on to someones property where suspected exposure has occurred.

[lawchick]

There have been some confirmed cases in Boise. Several clinics and schooling shows have been cancelled for the next few weeks.

[saddleup]

Two horses in Idaho died, according to the KIVI TV news about 20 minutes ago. Both had attended the cutting horse show in Ogden, Utah. So far no resident Utah horses have gotten sick, but there are still the cases in Colorado and California.

[wehrlegirl]

I heard this off FB… shows are being canceled etc… horses are showing neurological symptoms and several deaths. My horses aren’t going anywhere for awhile. Hope the big transport comp. are in the know to make sure it doesnt spread.

[dilligaff2]

[QUOTE=ponymoves;5609156]
Canada has closed borders as far as horses going in for now also[/QUOTE]

Where are you seeing this information? I just checked the CIFA website and there was no mention but maybe it is posted elsewhere?

[IdahoRider]

Yep, my vet contacted his clients by e-mail and gave us all a heads up. The two horses euthanized here in Idaho had been at the cutting horse competition in Utah.

I don’t think there is blind panic, but we are all being very careful and taking all precautions here, since the two euthanized horses were local.
Sheilah

[Sonesta]

I just got home from out vet (who is the “go-to” lameness guy and the vet used by most of the BIG horse auctions (quarter horses, paints, warmbloods, etc and so definitely stays on top of this stuff). He is getting constant calls right now about it and he says that people are panicking over nothing.

He says two confirmed cases - at the cutting event. Cutting horse association cancelled some shows just to be safe that no horse that was at that event would be travelling cross country to another event and MIGHT spread it.

He says not to worry.

He says while Facebook can be a great thing for getting info out, it can also get the info wrong and cause needless panic.

[bugsynskeeter]

I find it odd how much people are panicking. This happens what seems to be at least once a year at TB racetracks and not nearly as much panic ensues. Horses and tracks are quarantined - including such tracks as Keeneland, Churchill, Calder, Golden Gate, and Penn National in recent years. There was an EHV outbreak at a rehab center in Kentucky that didn’t have this much hype around it.

I know how bad and deadly of a disease EHV-1 can be - I worked at one of the major equine hospitals in Lexington and dealt with horses from a couple of the above quarantine situations. But I just don’t remember it being such a big outburst of public panic.

[SmartAlex]

[QUOTE=bugsynskeeter;5609808]
But I just don’t remember it being such a big outburst of public panic.[/QUOTE]

Welcome to the age of Facebook and Twitter.

[kewpalace]

@dilligaff2;5609716

I just checked the CIFA website and there was no mention but maybe it is posted elsewhere?

I didn’t see any mention of that either … I did find this (for what it’s worth):

Here in Canada, our own show organizers are taking precautions to assist the containment of the disease. The Alberta Cutting Horse Association officials cancelled the event scheduled for this past weekend on the Saturday morning of the show.

I spoke this morning with Dr. Greg Andrews of Moore Equine Veterinary Centre, and he confirmed for me that there has been one confirmed case of the disease, stemming from a horse which had been at the Ogden show, and one which is being treated as suspicious, though not yet confirmed, also a horse present at the Ogden show. Both horses were located in southern Alberta. Moore Equine Veterinary Centre is working closely with Ashley Whitehead of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary. She was present at the time of my conversation with Dr. Andrews and her information at this time is concurrent – one confirmed, one suspect.

Understandably there is a large degree of concern about the spread of the disease. The NCHA has several good links including, for those who did travel to Ogden, a suggested protocol for horses returning from Odgen with a risk of exposure, and updates on further show cancellations, should there be any.

---

We’ll pass on information of news on the Canadian front as we receive it.

http://www.westernhorsereview.com/?p=13083

[KristiKGC]

CSU is closing their teaching hospital to non-emergency cases and has cancelled clinics at their equine center.
Here’s the article.

[IdahoRider]

I can’t speak for other situations, but maybe part of the concern is the fact that the competition in Utah had horses from several different states who then traveled back to their home states and became sick. The information I have is the “Ground Zero” horses that contaminated the Utah competition came from Colorado.

The confirmed cases here in Idaho were horses that absolutely were at the cutting horse competition in Utah. At least one of those horses was being treated at one of the largest (perhaps even the largest) equine hospital in the state and was housed in a building that had other horses, who in turn went back to their home barns before the diagnoses was made on the EVH-1 horse that was euthanized.

It isn’t a situation with a few cases in one state and then a few cases in another state a year later. All isolated. There have been several cases all clustered around horses at one specific site, that has now spread over several states.
Sheilah

[newhorsemommy]

The California Department of Food and Agriculture posted this alert on May 13th.

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/animal_health/equine_herpes_virus.html

I have read that there are barns under volunteer quarantine here in CA, and my barn has suggested that no horses travel out. We’re full, so no worries about horses coming in right now.

[rodawn]

[QUOTE=ponymoves;5609156]
Canada has closed borders as far as horses going in for now also[/QUOTE]

CFIA doesn’t even monitor EHV1 or EHV4 because it is not a disease that affects the human food supply - sheep, bovine, swine, poultry, wildlife - and are only concerned about other equine diseases that cause huge financial losses.

Quote:

Protecting the animal resource base is integral to the Canadian food supply and critical to the well-being of all Canadians. The CFIA’s animal heath risks and production systems programming plays an important role in minimizing and managing risk by protecting Canada’s animals (including livestock, aquatic species and wildlife) from regulated diseases and from deliberate threats to the resource base.
End Quote.

Then, if you click on Animal Diseases they state, (copied and pasted):

Animal diseases can threaten the health of Canadians and cause multi-million-dollar losses. Canada’s reputation for being free from certain serious diseases enhances the international marketability of our animals, their products and by-products. To protect human and animal health, the CFIA conducts inspections and has monitoring and testing programs in place to prevent and control the spread of diseases to the livestock and poultry sectors.

Then, if you check the list of monitored diseases, CEM is listed, but not EHV1 or EHV4. Maybe this will change now that there is a highly transmissable neurological form of the disease that affects not just equids, but also camelids.

Actually, if you dig deeper, EHV is only required to be reported by the vets to the CFIA at the end of the year. They don’t need to report each new case.

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/disemala/disemalae.shtml

[stolen_virtue]

During the last outbreak in Ca we vacinated the entire barn (70 horses) with a live virus. It was the only vacination that made my horse swell up with all four legs. It was scary.

[MDHorseGirl]

Yes, I have lived through the EHV outbreak at the University of Findlay in early 2003… We lost many horses and many more were severely affected by the neurologic symptoms. In our case, we never knew where it came from but as soon as the diagnosis was confirmed the farm was voluntarily quarantined, and the surrounding horse community was educated. I can only say that I don’t want anybody else to have to go through that and any of my classmates will tell you the same. QUARANTINE practices are oh so important since it is HIGHLY contagious. Take temperatures vigilantly, handwashing, foot baths etc. This is the real deal people. I’m glad that word is getting out there so much, I’ve been passing the word around on facebook myself. There is no vaccine for the neurologic form because it is due to a mutation in the EHV-1 virus that normally only causes colds and abortions in pregnant mares.

[McVillesMom]

MDHorseGirl, one of my classmates lost her horse in the Findlay outbreak. So sad for everyone involved.

I received an email today from the AAEP about the current outbreak, which is also available at the following link:

http://www.aaep.org/ehv_resources.htm

[FAW]

So far, cases and deaths in CO, ID, WA and CA. Our horses are staying home from the second week at High Prairie show since there are cases in near our county.

[Calvincrowe]

Washington State University Vet hospital has a horse that was at the Ogden show just tested positive. They are closed to any incoming patients (horses) unless extreme emergencies. They expect to be closed for 2 weeks to monitor this horse–he is not exhibiting symptoms apparently.

Scary. Just plain scary. We are heading to a small show this weekend in Oregon. Should I add this as a worry? I doubt that a h/j show will have any common links to a cutting show in Utah…but it is a small, small world!

[LovelyBay]

Yikes, I’m just up the road from WSU. We are getting two new horses at the end of the month I’ll check with the BO tomorrow to see if I can get anymore information about where the new horses are coming from.