State Officials in Florida are investigating a possible outbreak of equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) in the Wellington, Fla., area. Affected animals have been associated with the importation of horses through the USDA New York animal import station. Laboratory confirmation is still pending.

Thus far, two horses have been euthanatized and other animals have had clinical signs. Two quarantines have been placed while state and federal officials are investigating the cause of the disease and working with affected industry to prevent further spread of the disease.

No other state or federal restrictions have been placed on horse movements into, within, or out of Florida.

Although EHV-1 can be a serious disease of horses and the virus can spread through the air for respiratory infection, transmission generally requires direct or close contact between horses. Horses with clinical signs should be isolated and kept 40 feet or more from other horses.

Owners with sick horses should contact their private veterinarian to examine and treat their horses. Veterinarians suspecting EHV-1 with neurological signs are advised to contact state officials.

Vaccines are available and concerned owners should discuss whether vaccination of their animals is recommended, the type of vaccines available, and the frequency of recommended vaccination with their veterinarian.

For more information, please see the following Web sites:

My Horse Matters.com

University of Kentucky

For more information on EHV-1, check out our free PDF library of EHV-related articles including images, or all our archived EHV-1 articles on TheHorse.com