Two barns at Parx Racing, in Bensalem, Pa., have been quarantined after a horse residing in one of the barns tested positive for equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1).
Director of racing Sal Sinatra told The Horse that the affected horse was tested and came up positive last Friday (Feb. 14).
"We have quarantined that barn (Barn 32) along with Barn 19, where a horse had been claimed out of Barn 32 on Feb. 8," he said. "The sick horse has been isolated off-site in Fredrickstown, Pa.," where it will be monitored and have its temperature taken twice a day.
Sinatra said horses in the two barns under quarantine are prohibited from training until their respective quarantine periods are over.
"Barn 19 is under a 21-day quarantine, which started on Feb. 8, and Barn 32 is under a 21-day quarantine starting yesterday (Feb. 17, the day the sick horse left)," he explained.
In November 2013, Parx quarantined three barns after a horse tested positive for the virus. The quarantine was officially released on Jan. 13.
Video: Health Alert: Equine Herpesvirus (EHV)
Although it's not transmissible to humans, EHV-1 is highly contagious among horses and camelids and is generally passed from horse to horse via aerosol transmission (when affected animals sneeze/cough) and contact with nasal secretions on objects such as feed buckets, grooming supplies, humans, and other infected animals. The disease can cause a variety of ailments in equids, including rhinopneumonitis (a respiratory disease usually found in young horses), abortion in broodmares, and myeloencephalopathy (EHM, the neurologic form).
TheHorse.com will provide updates as more information becomes available.
Disclaimer: Seek the advice of a qualified veterinarian before proceeding with any diagnosis, treatment, or therapy.