The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) has confirmed a diagnosis of equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM, the neurologic form of equine herpesvirus-1, or EHV-1) in a horse in central Virginia.

On Jan. 31, the VDACS State Veterinarian’s Office confirmed that a horse exhibiting neurologic signs and a fever tested positive for EHV-1.

The horse is housed at a boarding stable in Chesterfield County, which has been placed under quarantine. All exposed horses are being monitored twice daily for fever (temperature over 101.5°F) and other clinical signs, and VDACS will be working with the stable’s owner to determine if any exposed horses have left the premises.

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 EHM. In many horses, fever is the only sign of EHV-1 infection, which can go undetected