State veterinarians from New Hampshire, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina have identified the horses exposed to equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) and are dealing with the situation.

In New Hampshire, State Veterinarian Stephen K. Crawford, DVM, reported the imported horse has been located and is in quarantine at its original location in New Hampshire.

“It and all of the other horses on site are being monitored for fevers and/or development of other clinical signs, and I can thankfully say that thus far, there have been no fevers or other symptoms noted in any horses on site,” Crawford said. “As all of the horses are owned by one individual, and no horses have entered or left the farm since the arrival, there are no other facilities affected.”

Another horse from the imported group made a quick stop in Tennessee before moving on. According to Ron Wilson, DVM, Dipl. ACVP, a horse from the imported group stayed in a Tennessee stable from Nov. 28 to Dec. 4. It then went to Lexington, Ky., and flew from the Lexington airport to California.

This horse died and was confirmed positive for EHV-1.

Wilson said the horses that shared a barn with this animal are under a voluntary 21-day quarantine and their temperatures are being monitored twice daily. Two horses were PCR tested for EHV-1 and returned negative results. There are no known clinical cases in Tennessee.

North Carolina Director of Livestock Health Programs Tom Ray, DVM, MPH, said one horse from the imported group is in the control of its owner and attending veterinarian. There is no official quarantine.

“There are no clinical signs either on him or any of the others he’s been with,” Ray said.

Rays said state officials are touching base with the horse’s owner several times a week, verifying the horse remains healthy.

“We’re a week and a half past any incubation time,” Ray said. “Any day that passes is a little brighter.”

In South Carolina, horses which were incidentally exposed have been closely monitored for 21 days and have remained healthy, according to State Veterinarian John Caver, DVM, MPH.

“Upon arrival they appeared normal and have continued to appear healthy with normal temperatures,” Caver said.

There are no official quarantines or known cases of EHV-1 in South Carolina at this time.

Horses from the imported group linked to the EHV-1 outbreak in Florida were also shipped to Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania. State veterinarians in those states have been contacted, but have not responded to questions.

Rusty Ford, equine programs manager with the Kentucky State Veterinarian’s office, reported earlier this week that the mare shipped to Kentucky had shown no clinical signs and was released from quarantine. Read his report at www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=8456.  

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.