RICHMOND—Dr. Richard Wilkes, Virginia’s state veterinarian, recently urged all horse owners to be mindful of their animals’ health during the summer show season.

“Any time and any place that horses from different farms gather together, there is always the possibility of transmission of disease,” Wilkes said. “While we have not had any recent equine disease outbreaks in Virginia, owners need to be aware that horses can pick up diseases while traveling and bring them home to their own stables.”

Recently horses in Tennessee showed clinical signs of the neurological form of Equine Herpesvirus-1 resulting in Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy and are being monitored by their private veterinarians and the Tennessee state veterinarian’s office. The disease is often fatal. The virus is spread by airborne transmission, horse-to-horse contact and contact with nasal secretions on equipment, tack, feed and other surfaces. Caretakers can spread the virus to other horses if their hands, clothing, shoes or vehicles are contaminated. EHV-1 poses no threat to human health.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services recommends the following measures for horses that will come into contact with other horses at events:

 

• Minimize direct contact, especially nose-to-nose, between horses whenever possible.
• Clean and disinfect equipment, feed, tack, stalls and other surfaces that are shared between horses.
• Isolate and closely monitor horses that are returning from a show, trail ride or competition for at least 14 days.
• Clean and disinfect caretakers’ hands, clothing, shoes and vehicles that could be contaminated by other horses or equipment.
• Consult with a veterinarian about a vaccination schedule for diseases of concern such as Eastern Equine Encephalitis, West Nile Virus, Equine Rhinopneumonitis and rabies.

An equine vet also can make herd health recommendations tailored to specific horses and facilities. Event participants can monitor their horses for early signs of infection by taking the animals’ temperatures twice a day at events and reporting an elevated temperature to their veterinarians.

Contact Elaine Lidholm, VDACS communications director, at 804-786-7686.