There were 138 horses stabled at the University of Findlay James L. Child Jr. Equestrian Complex when the equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) outbreak hit. Beginning Jan. 12, many horses began showing non-specific symptoms, including fever and depression. Some horses also exhibited mild nasal discharge and would not eat. Within 48-72 hours, approximately 85% of the horses showed similar signs.

Over the weekend of Jan. 18, neurologic signs surfaced in many of the horses, and the virus was suspected to be EHV-1. The virus was confirmed to be EHV-1 on Jan. 24 through tests completed with the Ohio Department of Agriculture and The Ohio State University (see article #4084).

Rick Henninger, DVM, a veterinarian at the University of Findlay, treated horses in the outbreak. "No horse necessarily went by the book," he said. The horses typically developed fevers, followed by mild nasal discharge, and the worst ones developed neurologic signs. "Typically they'd have a fever for four to seven days," he said. "If the horses developed neurologic symptoms, they'd usually start on day six, seven, or eight.

"Why did we have some horses that never suffered at all?" asked Henninger. "It was not a large percent, but there were some. We have some horses that got fevers and then did not develop (further symptoms)