Dr. Shawn Bolton, APHIS USDA
Symptoms of Neurological EHV-1:
Equine Herpes Virus is highly contagious among horses but poses no threat to humans. The symptoms in horses may include a fever, nasal discharge, wobbly gait, hind-end weakness, dribbling of urine and diminished tail tone. The virus is easily spread by horse-to-horse contact and by contact with nasal secretions on equipment, tack, feed and other surfaces. Caretakers can spread the virus to horses if their hands, clothing, shoes or vehicles are contaminated. The virus can cause aborted foals and can be fatal in some cases.
Biosecurity Practices:
Horse owners should practice good biosecurity, such as using your own trailer and equipment, not letting your horse touch other people's horses, disinfecting shoes and equipment, washing hands after helping others with their horses, and limiting access to your farm. A downloadable brochure about horse biosecurity is available from the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/content/printable_version/HorseBioSecurity_final.pdf.
The TN Department of Agriculture is posting updates as available on the website at: http://www.tn.gov/agriculture/index.shtml.
Additional Resources:
A Guide To Understanding the Neurologic Form of EHV Infection
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/nahss/equine/ehv/equine_herpesvirus_brochure_2009.pdf
USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service Resources
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/nahss/equine/ehv/
American Association of Equine Practitioners Fact Sheet http://www.aaep.org/pdfs/control_guidelines/Equine%20Herpes%20Virus.pdf
Symptoms of Neurological EHV-1:
Equine Herpes Virus is highly contagious among horses but poses no threat to humans. The symptoms in horses may include a fever, nasal discharge, wobbly gait, hind-end weakness, dribbling of urine and diminished tail tone. The virus is easily spread by horse-to-horse contact and by contact with nasal secretions on equipment, tack, feed and other surfaces. Caretakers can spread the virus to horses if their hands, clothing, shoes or vehicles are contaminated. The virus can cause aborted foals and can be fatal in some cases.
Biosecurity Practices:
Horse owners should practice good biosecurity, such as using your own trailer and equipment, not letting your horse touch other people's horses, disinfecting shoes and equipment, washing hands after helping others with their horses, and limiting access to your farm. A downloadable brochure about horse biosecurity is available from the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/content/printable_version/HorseBioSecurity_final.pdf.
The TN Department of Agriculture is posting updates as available on the website at: http://www.tn.gov/agriculture/index.shtml.
Additional Resources:
A Guide To Understanding the Neurologic Form of EHV Infection
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/nahss/equine/ehv/equine_herpesvirus_brochure_2009.pdf
USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service Resources
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/nahss/equine/ehv/
American Association of Equine Practitioners Fact Sheet http://www.aaep.org/pdfs/control_guidelines/Equine%20Herpes%20Virus.pdf
