Wisconsin Horse Succumbs to EHM

Four equine herpesvirus-1 exposed horses from Polk County are under official quarantine.
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Wisconsin Horse Succumbs to EHM
Four equine herpesvirus-1 exposed horses from Polk County are under official quarantine. | Photo: Wikimedia Commons
On Jan. 6, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection officials confirmed a 6-year-old Quarter Horse mare from Polk County with the neurologic form of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1). The mare began experiencing clinical signs, which included ataxia (loss of control of body movements), lack of tail tone, urine dribbling, and becoming nonambulatory, on Dec. 31, 2019, and was subsequently euthanized. The four exposed horses were placed under quarantine, with enhanced biosecurity and twice-daily temperature monitoring. The mare’s vaccination status was not reported.

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 equine herpesvirus myeloencephalitis (EHM, the neurologic form).

In many horses, the first or only sign of EHV-1 infection is fever, which can go undetected. In addition to fever, other common signs of EHV-1 infection in young horses include cough, decreased appetite, depression, and a nasal discharge. Pregnant mares typically show no signs of infection before they abort, and abortions usually occur late in gestation (around eight months) but can be earlier. Abortions can occur anywhere from two weeks to several months following infection with EHV-1.

Horses with EHM usually have a fever at the onset of the disease and might show signs of a respiratory infection. A few days later, neurologic signs such as ataxia (incoordination), weakness or paralysis of the fore- and hind limbs, urine retention and dribbling, loss of tail tone, and recumbency (inability to rise) develop

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