Fill out this form to email this article to a friend
Horse virus prompts quarantine
The equine herpes virus-1 has stricken two animals at an east Hillsborough horse farm.
By CHRISTINA K. COSDON
Published April 5, 2007
THONOTOSASSA - A deadly equine virus that frightened horse owners in much of Florida last year has reached the Tampa Bay area. State officials quarantined an east Hillsborough horse farm 11 days ago after two horses there developed the highly contagious equine herpes virus-1 and had to be euthanized. The 15 other horses at Cross Creek Farm are being monitored daily by farm personnel, local veterinarians and state officials. The virus can cause respiratory disease, abortion and neurologic disease in horses, but is not a danger to humans. Keith Powell, who owns the Keilyn hunter-jumper show barn in Lutz with his wife, said Wednesday that he is making sure all 42 horses at his farm are up to date on their vaccinations. The main thing, he said, is to build up the horses' immune systems. Powell said an outbreak of the virus in Palm Beach County last year kept him away from horse shows there in January. Instead, he took his horses to shows in Jacksonville. "It wasn't so scary when the outbreak was on the East Coast," said Georgann Powers, who has operated Foxwood hunter-jumper show barn in Pinellas Park for 40 years. "Now it's scary." The state quarantine on Cross Creek Farm means no horses can be added or removed from the premises. Workers are being told to disinfect their outer footwear and wash their hands. Since the outbreak was confirmed March 25, "there have been no other clinical signs of the virus," said Michael Short, the equine programs manager in the state veterinarian's office in Tallahassee. "We're keeping our fingers crossed." He said quarantines usually are lifted after 21 days if there are no further signs of the virus, which is spread through the air but also can be carried on shoes, clothing, hands, feed and equipment. There is a vaccine for EHV-1, commonly known as rhinopneumonitis or rhino, but it does not protect against the neurologic strain of the disease. The primary benefit of the vaccine, Short said, is reducing the chances of the virus spreading. State officials aren't sure how the horses at Cross Creek became infected. The source of the Florida outbreak in November was an infected horse imported from Europe and brought to Wellington in Palm Beach County. The virus spread to horses in Jupiter, Indiantown, Morriston, Loxahatchee and Ocala. Ten facilities were eventually placed under quarantine. "This is a little more difficult case as far as trying to figure out where it came from," Short said. "(Cross Creek) is a boarding facility where people do mostly trail riding. There is minimal movement at this barn. The owners don't do a lot of showing or traveling." Short said one possibility is that one of the horses contracted the virus in its early years and recovered. But "once infected, you're infected for life," he said. "That's one thing we don't like about the virus. It's a silent intermittent carrier," he said. "The virus can be latent for years." The EHV-1 virus is popping up all over the United States. There are currently outbreaks in seven states, from California to Maine. "It's possible that we're seeing a new strain," Short said. "The good news is that we've found if you use good barn management and cleanliness, it helps decrease the spread of the disease." Times staff writer Andrew Meacham contributed to this report. . Q&A About the disease What is equine herpes virus-1? Equine herpes virus-1 (EHV-1) is a contagious viral disease of horses that can cause respiratory disease, abortion and occasionally neurologic disease. How is the EHV-1 disease spread? It is spread through air and by contaminated objects (feed, clothing, hands, etc.). Can EHV-1 spread to humans? No, but people can transport the virus on their clothes, boots, etc. Can EHV-1 spread to other animal species? No. Is there a vaccine available to help prevent the spread of EHV-1? Yes, but it doesn't directly protect against the neurological form of the disease. How do you test for EHV-1? A blood test is available. Test results usually take three to seven days to complete. Source: Florida Department of Agriculture
[Last modified April 5, 2007, 00:38:14]
Share your thoughts on this story
|
News
Fifty years ago, they were screwed-up kids sent to the Florida School for Boys to be straightened out. But now they are screwed-up men, scarred by the whippings they endured. Read the story and see a video and portrait gallery.
Print
Email story
Comment
Email editor
