Representatives of the Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania Departments of Agriculture verified today that there are no known cases of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) or official quarantines in their state.

These states received horses that were a part of the shipment of 15 from Germany that has been traced to EHV-1 deaths in both Florida and California.

According to Marisa Davis, a veterinary technician who tracked the horse for the Rhode Island Department of Agriculture, the horse never posed a threat within the state’s borders, as the mare spent her time in Rhode Island in CEM quarantine. She was shipped to Massachusetts on Dec. 13–the same day Rhode Island officials were notified of the EHV-1 risk.

“The lone animal that was in Rhode Island–for about a three week period–was in absolute isolation and was moved to a location in Massachusetts where there was a second animal from the same shipment,” Davis said.

This mare joined a gelding she had been imported with, as the same individual (a veterinarian) owns both horses, according to Vanessa Gulati, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Department of Food and Agriculture. Gulati said officials had examined the horses.

“They both seemed fine and healthy,” Gulati said.

In Pennsylvania, Tony LaBarbera, DVM, chief of the Department of Agriculture’s regulations and compliance division said the imported horse has been located and isolated for 21 days with no clinical signs.

“It was isolated, we’re past 21 days, and it’s perfectly healthy,” LaBarbera said. “We feel we’ve dodged a bullet.”

Representatives with New Hampshire, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina animal health organizations also reported their states are clear of EHV-1 cases. Read their reports at www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=8475.  

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.