Neurologic disease caused by equine herpesvirus-1 has been recognized for many years. However, in recent years there has been an increase in the number of EHV-1 neurologic cases worldwide. No one knows why.

Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) causes many problems, including abortion, respiratory disease, neurologic disease, death in newborn foals, and a newly recognized syndrome described as peracute pulmonary vasculitis of adult horses (which strikes adult horses in their lungs and kills them almost overnight).

EHV-1 has the potential to cause devastating outbreaks and shut down much of the industry, especially the racing industry. Continuing research offers hope that soon we’ll understand how the terrifying neurologic EHV-1 disease occurs, and what to do to prevent it.