Vet Alerts:
December 16, 2006
Wellington , FL
EQUINE HERPES VIRUS (EVH-1) TRAVELS FROM MARYLAND TO FLORIDA
Wellington , FL – December 16, 2006 – This morning at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Center and home to the Winter Equestrian Festival, hundreds of Wellington equestrians from every discipline gathered for a press conference.
Dr. Maureen Long of the University of Florida School of Veterinary Medicine , Dr. Michael Short from the State of Florida Department of Agriculture, Dr. Scott Swerdlin of Palm Beach Equine Clinic, and Dr. Dix Harrell, the USDA Assistant Area Veterinarian in Charge, spoke and answered questions pertaining to the Equine Herpes Virus (EHV). The USDA District veterinary medical officer, Dr. Julie Gaulthier, was also present.
The entire press conference was videotaped, and as a public service, will be available for free viewing on the front page of www.PhelpsSports.com .
The press conference provides information on; How the Virus Spreads, The Impact of the Virus, and How to Protect Your Horses.
John Canning DVM
Carbondale, Colorado
www.drcanning.com
970-963-4573
At the first sign of trouble call your veterinarian!
The Team at www.SpeakingEquine.com
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July 15, 2006
Horse dies of West Nile in Bond, Colorado
Scott N. Miller
Vail Correspondent
BOND, COLORADO - Shelly McCoy thought her horses were safe.
McCoy had had her horses vaccinated for West Nile virus in 2004 and 2005. But cases of West Nile in Colorado have dropped in the last year, so McCoy put off getting her horse vaccinated until it was too late for the shot to be effective this year.
Thursday, that horse died, and testing confirmed the 22-year-old mare died of West Nile. It's the third horse in Eagle County to die of the disease since 2003.
Serious Outbreak of Equine HerpesJanuary 26, 2006 An outbreak of Equine Herpes has hit race horses stabled at Pimlico and Laurel Race Courses in Maryland. Equine Herpes is not unusual and spreads in an epidemic fashion. There is evidence the virus may have become more powerful and resistant to some types of vaccines (see note from Dr. Canning below). Associated Press
Update 1: Maryland Horse With Herpes Not Contagious
By ALEX DOMINGUEZ , 01.27.2006, 06:13 PM An outbreak of equine herpes prompted the quarantine at Pimlico, where three horses have been euthanized, and led several states to ban the shipment of horses into or from Maryland. Since the new year, 11 horses at Pimlico have tested positive for the virus. Besides the three euthanized horses, eight horses are currently in isolation. Barns 5, 6 and A are in isolation from the general population after having horses show symptoms of the potentially deadly virus.
Forbes
Update 1: Laurel Park horse has equine herpes
Posted: Wednesday January 25, 2006 1:50AM; Updated: Wednesday January 25, 2006 1:50AM BALTIMORE (AP) -- A horse at Laurel Park has tested positive for the equine herpes virus that has already claimed two horses at nearby Pimlico Race Course and prompted a state quarantine at the home of the Preakness Stakes. However, the Laurel horse has not shown any symptoms of the disease and it is not clear whether the horse is contagious, or merely has been exposed to the virus in the past like many other horses, said Guy Hohenhaus, state veterinarian for the Maryland Department of Agriculture.
Sports Illustrated
Note from Dr. Canning: Recent studies show that Equine Herpes (Rhino) occurs more often in horses vaccinated frequently with the "killed" Vaccines. Research also supports the belief that the modified live virus vaccine may prevent this form of Equine Herpes. The caveat here is that apparently none of our available vaccines do a very good job of protecting or horses from the more typical respiratory form of EHV. Because of the above findings, Dr. Canning has switched his EHV vaccine protocol to the "modified live vaccine called "Rhinomune". Ensure receipt of your Speaking Equine e-mail, by adding JohnCanningDVM@drcanning.com to your address book.
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August 11, 2005Craig, Colorado VS DIAGNOSED IN MOFFAT COUNTY, COLORADO The state’s 23rd case of vesicular stomatitis has been diagnosed in Moffat County, the first in the county this year. A horse was diagnosed with the highly contagious disease, which can also infect cattle, pigs and sheep, as well as horses and Routt County Fair officials are taking precautions to make sure fair animals are protected. -Steamboat Pilot, 08.11.05
The clinical signs of Vesicular Stomatitis (VS) in horses include fever and blisters on the tongue, lips and coronary bands. The blisters are so painful that the horse may refuse to eat, develop excessive salivation or become lame if the coronary band is affected. The incubation period ranges from 2 to 21 days.
From The USDA, Vesicular Stomatitis
Vesicular stomatitis is a viral disease that primarily affects cattle, horses, and swine. The virus that causes vesicular stomatitis has a wide host range. This disease also occasionally affects sheep and goats. Many species of wild animals, including deer, bobcats, goats, raccoons, and monkeys, have been found to be susceptible hosts. Humans can also become infected with vesicular stomatitis when handling affected animals.
In affected livestock, vesicular stomatitis causes blister like lesions to form in the mouth and on the dental pad, tongue, lips, nostrils, hooves, and teats. These blisters swell and break, leaving raw tissue that is so painful that infected animals generally refuse to eat or drink and show signs of lameness. Severe weight loss usually follows.
Outward signs are similar to (although generally less severe than) those of foot-and-mouth disease, a foreign animal disease of cloven-hoofed animals that was eradicated from the United States in 1929. The clinical signs of vesicular stomatitis are also similar to those of swine vesicular disease, another foreign animal disease. The only way to tell these diseases apart is through laboratory tests.
How vesicular stomatitis spreads is not fully known; insect vectors, mechanical transmission, and movement of animals are probably responsible. One type of vesicular stomatitis virus is known to be spread by phlebotomine sandflies. Once introduced into a herd, the disease apparently moves from animal to animal by contact or exposure to saliva or fluid from ruptured lesions.
Humans can contract vesicular stomatitis when handling affected animals if proper bio-safety methods are not followed. Prevalence of this disease in humans may be underreported because it may often go undetected or be misdiagnosed. In people, vesicular stomatitis causes an acute influenza like illness with symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, headache, and malaise.
Ref:
Vesicular Stomatitis
USDA - Vesicular Stomatitis Situation Report August 7, 2005
At the first sign of trouble call your veterinarian!
The Team at www.SpeakingEquine.com
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Canada, Mexico, U.S. differ on reactions, results
By Christy Oglesby - CNN
Monday, June 6, 2005 Posted: 11:34 AM EDT (1534 GMT)
(CNN) -- It's probably faster to list where the West Nile virus isn't than where it is. The mosquito-borne malady has nearly circled the globe since its 1937 discovery in Africa. North America is one of its latest conquests.
West Nile Virus
Now Considered to be Endemic in All Areas of North America. "Risk of exposure and geographic distribution of the virus will vary from year to year with changes in the distribution of insect vectors and the reserviors of the virus. Because of the unpredictable nature of those factors and the effects of the disease, it is recommended that all horses in Horth America be immunized against West Nile virus.
For a map of impacted areas in the United States in 2004 West Nile virus in the U.S. - Maps . According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, there were 536 horse infections from 32 counties in 2004. Of these West Nile virus infected horses, 228 have been euthanized or died.
First identified in the 1960's as a cause of infection in the countries of Egypt, Uganda and France. The virus was not identified in the United States until 1999. The virus is transmitted from birds by mosquitoes to horses, human beings, and some other mammals. It is not directly contagious from horse to horse or horse to human. For the full article, go to AAEP Recommendations-WestNileVirus.
New guidelines for the vaccination of horses against the virus: West Nile Virus Vaccination ScheduleThe new guidelines were developed by The American Association of Equine PractitionersIncidents of Pigeon Fever Increasing in Colorado
So far in 2005, we have been told of three new cases of pigeon fever in horses. While these cases have been in North Eastern Colorado. Numerous additional cases were reported along the Front Range and one case in the Grand Junction area during the last quarter of 2004. The following article by the Equine Science Department at Colorado State University, explains the problem and outlines procedures for dealing with the problem in their 2002 article Rise In Cases Of Pigeon Fever Among Colorado Horses .An Owner's Perspective
Pigeon Fever Outbreak Confirmed in Horses in Wyoming
In her November 1999 article, Cherry Hill provides an excellent description of the problem from an owner’s perspective. Horsekeeping.com Newsletter.
The University of Wyoming (UW) Department of Veterinary Sciences has confirmed an unusual outbreak of pigeon fever in horses in the Laramie County area and also throughout the state and parts of Colorado in 2002. Treatment is available through local veterinarians. Wyoming Animal Health and Disease Information Network