A quarantine imposed on Virginia Tech’s Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Feb. 20 due to an equine herpesvirus (EHV-1) infection has been partially lifted. Two horses being held within one of the biosecurity perimeters established within the hospital were discharged from the hospital on Friday, March 9.

The state veterinarian has authorized the release of these horses based on stringent criteria established by the center, including the isolation of groups of horses, the length of time for which the horses have shown no symptoms, and three consecutive negative tests for EHV-1.

Testing of the horses in the remaining two biosecurity perimeters should be completed by March 13. When all horses within each specific group test negative for the virus, a request will be sent to the state veterinarian to lift the quarantine on that area of the hospital and the horses being held in that area will be discharged from the hospital.

There are currently two horses remaining at the center that are exhibiting neurologic signs, all of which have improved and are in stable condition in the center’s isolation unit. These two horses have tested positive for EHV-1 and will remain in isolation until they pass the testing criteria. Test results from two other horses that appeared to have neurologic signs were negative for the virus