In many horses, the first or only sign of EHV-1 infection is fever, which can go undetected. | Photo: Stephanie L. Church/The Horse

Officials quarantined the farm, and veterinarians monitored the temperatures of all horses on the premises twice daily for 21 days. No other horses in Indiana have tested positive for equine herpesvirus in association with this case.

Disease prevention is the best method of disease control. “Biosecurity is always important to prevent any disease spread,” said Sandy Norman, DVM, Indiana Board of Animal Health director of the companion and equine division. “EHV-1, the neurologic form, is a reportable disease requiring quarantine and twice-daily temperature monitoring to minimize the disease’s effect on the horse population.”

EHV 101

Herpesvirus is highly contagious among horses and can cause a variety of ailments in equids, including rhinopneumonitis (a respiratory disease usually found in young horses), abortion in broodmares, and