According to a statement released by the Maryland Department of Agriculture yesterday (Feb. 22), there are no known positive cases of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) in Maryland. However, eight facilities are under mandatory investigational hold orders to prevent the movement of horses on or off the property, as animals which were at the Marion duPont Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, Va., might have been exposed to the virus. New information from the hospital indicates more premises might require surveillance. Department officials are in the process of evaluating these locations.

The statement read, “Based on our animal health staff’s visits and evaluations of the farms, horses–those from Leesburg as well as stablemates, the fact that they are generally small, private farms, and the general lack of movement on and off the farms prior to the hold orders, we feel this is a minimal risk situation to the broader horse community. At this time, we are advising people (other than those on the farms with hold orders) to go about their normal business cautiously and with a heightened sense of awareness. Be sure to ask questions about the health of horses at a destination farm and shippers before moving your horse.”

Because the risk to the general horse population is considered minimal, the Department is not revealing the location of specific facilities under hold orders.

The Department advised farriers, feed truck personnel and others in the equine service industry to confirm that their clients are not under hold orders before visiting any farms. If a farm under a hold order requires a service call, information on recommended biosecurity guidelines is available on the Department’s Web site, www.mda.state.md.us.  

Any signs of illness should be reported to your private veterinarian. With EHV-1, fevers over 103°F, unexplained respiratory disease, and any neurologic conditions are of concern. Veterinarians should notify animal health officials about cases involving neurologic signs, as these symptoms are considered reportable in Maryland,

The veterinary hospital will be hosting informational meetings on EHV-1 for veterinarians and horse owners. The meeting for veterinarians will take place Saturday, Feb. 24, 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m., at Morven Park International Equestrian Center, 41793 Tutt Lane, Leesburg, Va.

The horse owner’s meeting is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 26, 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m., Best Western Leesburg-Dulles, 726 East Market Street, Leesburg, Va.

For more information on these meetings and the Marion duPont Equine Medical Center quarantine see www.equinemedicalcenter.net.  

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