Washington State Veterinarian
A quarantine that has been in place at a Woodinville equestrian center since Dec. 13 was removed today following tests showing no new evidence of the highly contagious neuropathogenic strain of equine herpes virus (EHV-1).
It also helped that the owners were exceptionally cooperative with our oversight. Their efforts prevented this situation from becoming an outbreak at additional horse facilities.
This incident is a reminder for all horse owners to continue practicing good biosecurity at their stables and keep an eye on their horses for signs of possible infection such as high fevers, discharge from their eyes or nose, or swelling in their limbs. Owners should also look for neurological signs such as an unsteady gait, weakness, urine dripping, lack of tail tone and recumbency.
Notify your veterinarian if you detect any of these symptoms.
Our earlier article from December on EHV-1 has additional advice for horse owners concerning equine herpes.