Equine herpes spreads in Washington horses

Washington Ag Today May 23, 2011 More Washington state horses that were exposed to Equine Herpes Virus 1 at a competitive event in Ogden, Utah recently have now been diagnosed with the highly contagious, sometimes fatal disease.

Eldridge: “We have confirmed four positive horses that are all quarantined and isolated and are waiting on testing on about four more that are showing clinical signs. All that had been at the event.”

Washington State Veterinarian Leonard Eldridge speaking Friday. He also said;

Eldridge: “That there is a couple of horses that were exposed to horses that were at the event that now are coming down with it. So we are getting spread into our horses so we have asked for voluntary isolation and practice of biosecurity on all of our horses that are exposed.”

Eldridge has been getting questions from owners about attending events with their healthy horses.

Eldridge: “Each event needs to assess risk. And if you are absolutely sure there are now exposed horses at an even I don‘t think you risk is any greater than it was a month ago. If there is a possibility of exposure, you know there are exposed horses that might be at an event then the risk is higher and each event organizer needs to assess that risk.”

The disease is not a threat to humans.

I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on Northwest Aginfo Net.

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