Cornell University’s Equine Hospital returned to normal operating status April 12 when the quarantine put in place after two horses tested positive for the neurologic form of equine herpesvirus (EHV-1) was lifted. Additional biosecurity protocol is scheduled to remain in place for at least another week.

According to a statement on Cornell’s website, "the quarantine was lifted from the equine hospital barns and some additional college-owned barns on April 12, after temperatures (taken twice daily) and additional tests conducted on all horses indicated that EHV-1 is not present."

EHV-1 is a highly contagious virus that can cause a variety of ailments in horses including rhinopneumonitis (a respiratory disease mostly of young horses), abortion in broodmares, and myeloencephalopathy (the neurologic form).

The quarantine was put into place in late March in response to two confirmed cases of the virus. One of the two confirmed EHV-1 cases involved a 1-day-old foal that was admitted to the equine hospital on March 18. The foal died two days later of pneumonia, and tests revealed the presence of EHV-1 on March 25. During the same time a gelding was being treated at the hospital for a spinal injury. He was discharged March 22, but became severely ill and showed neurologic clinical signs after arriving back at his home farm. This horse tested positive for EHV-1 on March 30, but is now recovering