By Glory Ann Kurtz
May 14, 2011
BREEDERS INVITATIONAL LATEST CUTTING TO BE CANCELLED DUE TO EXPOSURE TO EQUINE HERPESVIRUS
OUTBREAK STARTED AT NCHA WESTERN NATIONALS AT OGDEN AND CAUSED CANCELLATION OF THE TEJON CUTTING IN LEBEC, CALIF.
The Breeders Invitational, which began today and was scheduled to run through Saturday, May 28, was cancelled late today due to the Equine Herpesvirus outbreak which has caused dozens of affected horses and even several deaths.
The outbreak of Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy (EHV-1) was traced to horses who attended the NCHA Western Nationals in Ogden, Utah, where one horse reportedly died. From there, many horses headed to a cutting in Bakersfield, Calif., where several horses showed signs of the highly contagious disease and three horses were reported by contestants to have died.
The PCCHA sprung into action, cancelling the PCCHA Tejon Ranch Cutting,
scheduled for May 19-22 at Lebec, Calif. Also, the Breeders Invitational in Tulsa, Okla., decided to cancel their high-paying show later today, after several horses showed signs of a fever. A press release from the Breeder's Invitational will be forthcoming regarding the future of this year's show.
Also, the Colorado Department of Agriculture is investigating two confirmed cases of EHV-1 within the state and two quarantines have been placed on two Weld County premises. One horse was euthanized after showing severe neurological signs associated with the disease and the second horse is currently under observation in a biosecure location.
Colorado State Veterinarian Dr. Keith Roehr said, "We will continue to trace the movement of these horses and those horses they came into contact with in order to protect Colorado's equine industry." Both horses had at the NCHA Western Nationals in Ogden.
According to a press release from the Animal Health Division of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the outbreak of Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy (EHV-1) has been traced to horses who attended the NCHA Western National Championships in Ogden, Utah, on April 30-May 8, where many of the horses who participated in the event may have been exposed. Many were from out of state, including Texas.
They encourage owners of horses who participated in Ogden to isolate and monitor their horses for clinical signs of disease. A rectal temperature in excess of 102F commonly precedes other clinical signs and they are urging owners to take temperatures twice a day. If temperatures are above 102F, owners are urged to contact their veterinarians. Laboratory submission of nasal swabs and blood samples collected from the exposed horse can be utilized for virus detection and isolation.
The EHV-1 organism spreads quickly from horse to horse and the neurologic form of the virus can reach high morbidity and mortality rates. The incubation period of EHV-1 is typically 2-10 days. In horses infected with the neurologic strain of EHV-1, clinical signs may include: nasal discharge, incoordination, hind-end weakness, recumbency,lethargy, urine dribbling and dimished tail tone. Prognosis depends on severeity of signs and the period of recumbency.
There is no specific treatment for EHV-1 but it could include intravenous fluids and anti-inflammatory drugs. Currently there is no equine vaccine that has a label claim for protection against the neurological strain of the virus. Some of the owners of horses that have been at the affected events, have been giving their horses immune system boosters.
Horse-to-horse contact, aerosol transmission and contaminated hands, equipment, tack and feed all play a role in disease spread. However, horses with severe clinical signs of neurological EHV-1 illness are thought to have large viral loads in their blood and nasal secretions and, therefore, present the greatest danger for spreading the disease.
Immediate separation and isolation of identified suspect cases and implementation of appropriate biosecurity measures are key elements for disease control.
For additional information, go to
USDA.
For an American Association of Equine Practitioners Fact Sheet go to:
AAEP Fact Sheet
You can also contact Kent Fowler, DVM, Animal Health Branch Chief of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. (916) 657-5045 or (916) 837-3419 (cell) or in Colorado contact Christi Lightcap (303) 239-4190 or Christi.lightcap@ag.state.co.us.
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