Horse tests positive for EHV-1 at Winter Equestrian Festival, Florida | ||
A horse has tested positive for EHV-1 at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida. The case is not linked to the outbreak of EHV-1 in Europe, which has led to 18 deaths. Further information about the European outbreak can be found here. A statement released by Equestrian Sports Promotions regarding the positive case in the USA advises: “A horse in Tent #17 was reported with a fever in the late morning of Thursday, April 1st. The horse – Horse A – was isolated to the quarantine stalls immediately on Thursday for Equine herpesvirus testing and treatment. Nasal and blood tests were pulled and sent out for rapid testing. Friday night at 7 pm (last night) the results came back from the lab that the nasal test was positive for EHV-1 and the blood was negative. At 7:30 pm a teleconference was held with Palm Beach Equine Clinic Veterinarians and the State Vet. The decision to place the single barn aisle where the horse was stabled in quarantine was made. Management met with the barn owner last night and established a barrier at the end of their aisle and went over biosecurity protocols. The State Vet met with ESP management and the Horse A barn owner this morning. At this point, two aisles in Tent 17 are under mandatory quarantine, and a third aisle is voluntarily quarantining. The rest of Tent 17 is considered not to be at risk. Horse (A) remains isolated and is currently bright and not showing any neurologic signs. The owner made the decision this morning to have the horse transported to the University of Florida for treatment. ESP has been working closely and in direct communication with Palm Beach Equine Clinic and the State Vet to ensure we are receiving the most accurate information as quickly as possible since the fever was first noted in Horse A. ESP has long-standing strict protocols in place regarding rapid isolation and testing of febrile horses and we are confident these protocols will limit transmission and enable us to continue showing safely. It is our shared responsibility to keep our horses safe. Similar to the suggested protocols in place for humans due to COVID-19, we urge all equestrians to please remember and abide by the following biosecurity measures:
Further biosecurity protocols and additional resources can be found here: United States Department of Agriculture Information on Equine Herpesvirus American Association of Equine Practitioners FAQ on Equine Herpesvirus United States Equestrian Federation Biosecurity Measures for Horses at Home and at Competitions ESP has longstanding protocols to manage such events and will provide further isolation facilities if and as required. Experience has taught us that early identification is key when dealing with disease outbreaks, and this requires cooperation from everyone within the community.”
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© copyright. Equestrian Life. Friday, 19 April 2024 https://www.equestrianlife.com.au/articles/Horse-tests-positive-for-EHV-1-at-Winter-Equestrian-Festival-Florida |
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