Take Note Of EHV Outbreak In USA Says Pfizer

An outbreak of Equine Herpes Virus across various states in the USA this spring has wreaked havoc on the equestrian industry, with many competitions being cancelled or postponed indefinitely. The situation has prompted Pfizer Animal Health to urge the UK’s horse owners to be extra vigilant to prevent a similar occurrence in this country and Pfizer’s veterinary adviser has put together some practical tips to help us limit the risk to our horses. EHV is a contagious virus carried by most horses in the UK1. There are two main types, EHV-1 and EHV-4,that cause differing clinical disease. Most cases involve EHV-4 which can cause respiratory disease and an associated loss of performance - a horse may be out of work for a number of weeks while it recovers from the infection. EHV-1 will cause similar disease issues but in addition can cause abortion and more rarely a neurological syndrome resulting in paralysis, collapse and a very poor prognosis Once a horse is infected with EHV, it can harbour the virus throughout its life and potentially shed the disease to other animals without showing any outward signs. In respiratory disease the clinical symptoms, if apparent, may include a rise in body temperature, nasal discharge and a dry cough in younger horses. The horse may also show signs of depression and lethargy. Ben Gaskell, Pfizer’s Veterinary Adviser has put together some management tips to help horse owners tackle the issue of EHV to prevent it becoming a serious health risk to their horses:

• Minimise stress: re-activation of EHV and shedding from infected horses usually happens during times of stress, such as moving yards or during periods of hard work.
• Avoid close contact with unknown horses: The disease is transmitted by inhalation of the viral particles shed by infected horses.
• Don’t over-crowd or over-stock yards and paddocks: cramped environments can allow EHV to spread more readily.
• Consider vaccination: Vaccinating every horse will help minimise the severity of the disease itself and, importantly, can also help to reduce the amount of infective virus that is shed to other in-contact horses.
• For all these factors it is important to consider all the horses as a herd as a whole - they are better protected by the health of the herd than as individuals.

Ben Gaskell says: “The EHV outbreak in the ‘States has had a severe financial impact across many sectors of their equestrian industry. We should make sure that we are all as conscientious as possible with management regimes to ensure that a similar situation does not occur in the UK. Prevention is always better than cure.” Pfizer has recently launched an awareness campaign to help vets encourage horse owners, yard managers, trainers and breeders to keep their horses protected from the effects of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV). For further information ask your vet for a copy of Pfizer’s new information booklet Preventing Equine Herpes Virus, or contact Pfizer Animal Health, Walton Oaks, Tadworth, Surrey KT20 7NS 1. Eddington et al. Equine Vet. J. 1994; 26 (2): 140-142. V

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