Officials at the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) have lifted the quarantine that was placed on an Amelia County premises on March 17 due to a 26-year-old Thoroughbred gelding being confirmed positive for the neurologic form of equine herpesvirus (EHM). Forty-one additional horses were exposed.

On April 6, the index case died due to causes unrelated to EHM.

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.

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