As a precautionary measure, the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s Large Animal Clinic at the University of Saskatchewan is not accepting any nonemergency equine patients to control risks related to equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) infection.

The school suspended its equine clinical services following admission of two local horses that proved to be suffering from the neurologic form of EHV-1 infection, also called equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM).

The virus, which is contagious through contact and through aerosols, can be controlled by restricting contact and with stringent decontamination of hospital facilities. EHV-1 can not be transmitted to humans or to other animal species and is not a reportable disease in Canada.

All other activities and services provided by the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine are not affected by these precautions