11/20/2024
Our office has received a lot of calls today regarding the local outbreak of EHV/EHM in our equine community. Of course, in any disease outbreak there is always fear and apprehension. EHM is very serious potentially fatal disease and protecting our equine population is our primary objective. Here are some do's and don'ts during a viral outbreak.
DO: Shelter in place. Isolation and cessation of travel is the #1 protective measure in halting the spread of a viral disease. Haul in facilities should close their doors for the time being until we have no more new cases in the area for a period of 28 days.
DO: Take temperatures on your exposed or potentially exposed horses for 14 days. If your horse spikes a fever over 101.5 please call your veterinarian to perform diagnostic testing.
DON'T: Vaccinate your exposed horses. While we whole-heartedly recommend vaccination biannually for prevention of viral shedding, we do not recommend vaccination after exposure as there is some evidence that can increase incidence of disease.
DON'T: Engage in stressful events if your horse was potentially exposed. Just like with people, stress, travel, training all can increase viral shedding during an outbreak. The best advise is to halt or decrease intensity of training or other stressful events.
Quarantine for exposed horses/facilities is 28 days after the last febrile day. The virus typically survives 7 days in the environment but may last longer under ideal conditions.
If you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to reach out to our office for assistance! Let's keep this outbreak small and get it over quickly by limiting the movement of our equine population!