Equine Herpes Virus is Spreading: Potentially Fatal

The Equine Herpes Virus has spread to several statesand could be potentially fatal. The latest case hasbeen discovered in Arizona. The infectious disease isbecoming a serious problem. It has already started tospread across several mid and southwestern states.The only available vaccine's effectiveness isquestionable indicating the disease will continue tospread.

This strain of the equine herpes virus, EHV-1, hasrecently showed up in horses in Arizona and iscausing most equine facilities to be closed in thatstate. The virus spreads from a horse's breath or anyrespiratory fluids. Tiny drops can land on anythingwithin a 40 foot radius of the infected horse and otherhorses can catch the virus from physical contact withanything that has been in the horse's proximity. Whatmakes it so easy to spread undetected is the horseshows no sign of infection generally for 8 to 12 days.

Once the 8 to 12 day period ends, the symptoms ofthe equine herpes virus seem to appear suddenly. Thesymptoms include weakness and paralysis of themuscles of the hind limbs that causes lack ofcoordination, gait abnormalities and the inability tostand up from a sitting position. If the horse ispregnant, this disease can be fatal to the offspring.Normally a horse can be saved through propertreatment that allows the virus to subside, however,death to any horse is a possibility.

While viruses are known to rapidly mutate and crossspecies, there is no sign that the equine herpes virusmay do so. If it does, anyone could face infection. Itwould be a horrible scenario if such a virus crossedover to humans but there is no reason to be afraid.Anytime we are faced with a virus in animals, weexpect experts in the field of communicable diseasesto observe them very closely.