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Posted
: December 16, 2006
BIO
Security Measures To Be Implemented Immediately for Exposed Regions
to the EHV1 Virus
The EHV1
Virus causes flu-like systems such as respiratory infections and high
fevers. In 10 to 20 percent of the cases, neurological disorders cause
the horse to be put down. The Equine Herpes Virus can have an incubation
period of up to 21 days. A horse can carry the virus in their nose and
their blood.
Important
information regarding containment of the virus
- Check
temperatures twice a day. Even if the temp is 1 Degree above normal
call your vet. The horse can appear healthy but has been exposed.
- Vaccinate
for the Rhino Virus if your horse has not been vaccinated in the last
2 months. You may see post vaccination fever. It will not prevent
your horse against picking up the virus, but will decrease the amount
of nasal shedding.
- Wear
two sets of gloves, changing the top set between horses
- Limit
the number of people in the barns, have footpaths for people and
- Pressure
washing off limits, because it spreads the virus.
- No running
fans in barns
- Wash
hands frequently
- Swipe
hands and feet
- The
virus can be carried by shoes and buckets. Limit activity to your
barn area.
- Do not
share buckets, saddles,
grooming equipment
- Segregate
exercise, rotate excercise sessions.
- Use
of individual manure buckets and pitchforks
Standard
of Protocol
- The
area affected - Pierson Road south to 120th West, and east from Rustic
Ranches heading south to 160th. A voluntary quarantine order is also
in place for the Southfields area. There was no difference between
“mandatory and voluntary, and there are civil criminal penalties
for breaking the orders.”
- Keep
a log of horses and temperatures
- Voluntary
quarantine the Southfield's area - No movement in and none out
- If you
have a temp between 102.0 and above report should be reported to the
State veterinarian’s office and the stable’s veterinarian.
The horse should be isolated and samples taken by the stable veterinarian
to include whole blood (EDTA tube) and nasal swab for PCR testing
of EHV-1.
- Wait
7 days before shipping to Florida from Dec 16, until further notice
to be sure the virus is under control.
More
Facts
- The
cause is equine herpes virus 1 (EHV1), which can also cause respiratory
signs and abortions. It is also known as rhinopneumonitis.
- The
virus is shed in respiratory secretions, and horses get it by inhaling
the virus or from contaminated objects such as buckets, tack, etc.
- The
virus can live on your hands for a week, longer than the flu
- On a
farm, you may have just one horse or almost all of them affected.
There may or may not have been known cases of respiratory disease
or abortion beforehand. We don't know why some horses develop the
neurological disease and others don't, but stress may play a role.
- The
signs of the neurological form include fever, in coordination, and
weakness, usually most obvious in the hind limbs. There may be weakness
of the tail and difficulty urinating and defecating. The horse may
go down and be unable to get up. In most cases, the signs show up
about a week after exposure to the virus.
- There
is no specific treatment for EHV. Some horses recover completely,
others do not, and if they are down, the prognosis is poor.
- The
vaccine for Rhino does not seem to prevent the neurological disease,
although some vets feel it may reduce the number and severity of cases.
- The
virus can live outside the body for 2-3 days
- Nasal
discharge can be sprayed 35 feet
It is important
that you so NOT vaccinate horses that may already be exposed to the
virus. Since the best vaccination is a modified LIVE vaccine it can
make the virus WORSE!
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