A horse has been diagnosed with the neurologic form of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1) at HITS Ocala. The barn the horse was in is currently quarantined, but no other travel restrictions are imposed at this time. Show vets are monitoring other horses on grounds, and normal ship-ins are unaffected so long as they meet standard health entry requirements. [COTH]
The Equine Chronicle has a statement from show manager Kristin Vale:
“We are currently quarantining a tent where the horse was stabled,” Vale says. “We did have a horse yesterday that was taken to the University of Florida in Gainesville, and it has since tested positive for EHV. The barn that the horse was stabled in has been quarantined, but everything else is business as normal at this time. There are not any movement restrictions on or off the grounds.”
“We’ve had meetings with the state vet first and then a meeting with trainers and owners, the horse show vet, and other vets. We’re suggesting that people watch for any high fevers, and [if any are discovered] they will be treated by the vet on the premises. We will be taking all precautionary measures. We are in sort of a holding pattern, because right now, we know of that single horse [with EHV], but no others with fevers in the tent. So, we are hopeful this is an isolated incident.”
There are some unconfirmed reports (via Twitter and feed store gossip) that there may be a more serious “lockdown” at HITS resulting from this situation. At this point, I cannot find an official source for that information. But it’s probably best to stay clear of HITS for a little while, and if you’ve been there recently keep an eye on your horses.
