Three weeks ago, the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) announced the quarantine of a horse, brought from Canada for training, with equine herpes in Allegan County.
Although Allegan is on the southwest side of the state, local veterinarians are urging equestrian lovers in the Oxford/Metamora ‘horse country? to be aware of this potentially deadly disease.
Dr. Evan Moore D.V.M. has been making house calls to the Oxford, Metamora, Lapeer and Ortonville area since 1989 and said horse owners need to be reminded of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV) symptoms.
There are four different forms of the virus, also known as rhinopneumonitis. The most common varieties can cause respiratory disease, abortions and foal mortality. The fourth less common variety can cause a neurological disease leading to paralysis.
Dr. Moore said symptoms of EHV include loss of appetite, nasal discharge, coughing and high fever. If these symptoms are seen, horse owners should contact their veterinarian right away.
While a vaccine is available for the respiratory and abortive form of EHV, there is none for the neurological form.
The reason is still unknown as to why some groups of horses develop the neurological form.
A devastating neurological EHV outbreak in 2003 in Findlay, Ohio, killed 12 horses. January of this year found 11 horses at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore infected with the virus, two of which had to be euthanized.
‘Vaccination is still prudent even if you may not prevent the neurologic form because it reduces the amount of the virus in the environment,? Moore said.
For instance, Dr. Moore said horses that were sick can continue to ‘shed? the virus out of their body, which can make non vaccinated horses prone to the disease.
Although EHV is not transmissible to humans or other animals, Dr. Moore said it is primarily spread to other horses through the air.
It does, however, have the possibility of ‘mutating? to a human virus, not unlike the recent fear the bird flu caused.
EHV should not be confused with the herpes virus in humans which causes cold sores, chickenpox and shingles.
The MDA’s website also said the disease can be spread through close contact breathing, sneezing and coughing, organic materials on clothes or equipment and contaminated feed or water.
In all the years of practicing in Oxford, Dr. Moore said he hasn’t seen any definitive diagnoses of EHV, only potential candidates.
‘I’ve had plenty of mares that have aborted fetus? where ‘rhino? was the suspicious cause,? he said.
Dr. Moore recommends vaccinating against the EHV every three to six months. Pregnant mares should be vaccinated every two months starting at about five months into the pregnancy until full-term.
According to the MDA’s website, animal health officials took the necessary steps to quarantine the Allegan County horse by prohibiting any horses from leaving or entering the facility, tracing all horses that may have had contact with the horse and disinfecting the quarantined area.