Herpesvirus is highly contagious among horses. In many horses, the first or only sign of EHV-1 infection is fever, which can go undetected. | Photo: Courtesy Peterson & Smith Equine Hospital

Following New Mexico’s recent ban on admitting horses from Oklahoma City’s Remington Park racetrack, the Kentucky state veterinarian has directed Kentucky tracks and their associated training centers to prohibit transport of horses that were at Remington Park on or after Nov. 12 without the Kentucky state veterinarian’s prior approval.

The restrictions come after two Remington Park racetrack barns containing 166 horses were quarantined after one horse tested positive for the neurologic form of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) on Nov. 12 and two additional horses tested positive on Nov. 21.

Kentucky officials will make decisions to admit horses from Remington Park to Kentucky tracks on an individual basis in consultation with the track concerned. Any approvals will be made only after testing and further evaluation of horses in question following their departure from Remington Park