A horse that arrived at the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, Va., from Maryland on Feb. 7 for colic treatment subsequently developed a fever and neurological symptoms. The animal was immediately isolated, but initial testing showed that the horse was positive for the EHV-1 virus.
EHV-1, one of several strains of the equine herpesvirus, can cause neurological damage and death. Cases in the Wellington, Fla., area in December and January almost delayed the start of the Winter Equestrian Festival this year and caused the cancellation or postponement of several shows.
Although the index horse at the Marion duPont Medical Center at Morven Park was isolated when it began to show signs of an infectious disease, other equine patients had already been exposed. Two more horses developed fever and neurological symptoms as of Feb. 20, leading state officials to institute an immediate quarantine of all hospital facilities.
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“The center has always followed strict biosafety procedures governing patient care, movement in and out of the isolation unit, and cleaning of stalls between each horse occupancy in order to prevent the spread of infectious diseases,” said Dr. Martin Furr, Adelaide C. Riggs Chair in Equine Medicine at the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in a press release (http://emc.vetmed.vt.edu/). “However, this quarantine, which is the first that we’ve had since the center was opened in 1984, has been implemented to ensure that there is no chance of spreading the virus.”
State officials are taking no chances in trying to contain the virus. The quarantine at the medical center could last anywhere from 14 to 28 days with no horses coming in or out during that time.
Additionally, six locations in Maryland and one farm in northern Virginia are also under “investigational hold orders” to prevent horses from coming or going to these facilities until test results are back. So far there are no horses showing signs of EHV-1 on these farms, but horses on these premises had possible exposure to the virus because they were at the Marion duPont Medical Center at the same time as the index horse before it began to show clinical signs.
