Equine herpes virus update: March 28, 2008
As of Friday, March 28, field service veterinarians from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine are treating 15 horses at a Saskatoon-area riding stable for equine herpes virus type one (EHV-1) infection, says Dr. Katharina Lohmann of WCVM’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
Last week, WCVM announced the suspension of non-emergency equine clinical services at its Large Animal Clinic after admitting two local horses that proved to be suffering from the neurologic form of EHV-1.
The virus, which is contagious through contact and through aerosols, can be controlled by restricting contact and with stringent decontamination. EHV-1 can not be transmitted to humans or to other animal species and is not a reportable disease in Canada.
By March 26, the two horses that were initially admitted to WCVM’s Large Animal Clinic more than 10 days earlier had improved enough to be discharged. Both horses returned to the same riding stable where WCVM field service veterinarians continue to treat 13 other horses for the viral infection.
The stable’s owners have kept their facility quarantined since the beginning of the outbreak to control the potential spread of EHV-1 to other farms.
While the veterinary college’s non-emergency equine clinical services remain suspended, Lohmann says all other activities and services provided by the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine are operating as usual.
WCVM will resume its regular equine clinical services at the Large Animal Clinic once diagnostic testing determines that in-clinic horses pose no risk of virus shedding and once the hospital facilities have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.
For further information about EHV-1, horse owners are urged to contact their local veterinarian, or they can contact Dr. Katharina Lohmann at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (306-966-7157 or 306-966-7178).
