Officials at Pimlico Racecourse announced Friday (Jan. 13) that a second horse euthanatized at the Maryland track is suspected to have had equine herpesvirus-1. As a result, the Maryland Department of Agriculture has placed a “hold order” on Barn 6, where the horse was stabled.

According to a statement from the Maryland Jockey Club, the horse was euthanatized Friday morning after showing neurological signs. Equine herpesvirus type-1 (also known as “rhino”) causes upper respiratory infection and can also cause neurological disease.

The latest suspected case of a horse dying from EHV-1 came 11 days after News Reporter, a gelding stabled in Barn 5, was euthanatized. Tests released Tuesday (Jan. 10) confirmed that News Reporter was carrying the herpes virus.

“This morning in Barn 6 one horse who had been previously healthy became very sick and demonstrated neurologic signs to a point where it was unable to rise even with assistance,” said Guy Hohenhaus, DVM, Maryland state veterinarian. “The owners opted, after discussions with their veterinarians, to euthanize the animal and submit it for postmortem examination at the College Park laboratory