Ga. Dept. of Agriculture warns of horse EHV-1 outbreak in Florida
From Special Reportsnews@newnan.com
The Georgia Department of Agriculture is warning Georgia show horse owners of an EHV-1 outbreak in Florida.
This past weekend, a horse participating in the “Horse Shows in the Sun” event in Ocala was referred to the University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine after showing clinical neurological signs on Feb. 20, state agriculture officials reported Thursday.
Since the original report, five additional horse linked to the HITS Show in Ocala and one horse that has not been linked have tested positive for the EHV-1 wild-type.
The Division of Animal Industry is conducting a disease investigation, which includes the HITS show grounds in Ocala and 12 other Florida locations.
Due to an increase in positive cases found, the Georgia Department of Agriculture recommends that all horses that attended the HITS show should not attend any additional shows for the next 21 days.
State officials also recommend that all horses that attend the show be isolated and monitored twice daily for fever and clinical signs of this disease.
Any horses that have been in contact with a horse that attended the HITS show should be included in the isolation. If there is evidence of fever or illness, a veterinarian should be consulted as soon as possible.
Georgia Department of Agriculture is asking all those in the equine community to report any suspected cases of EHV-1. For reporting, call the Georgia Department of Agriculture at 404-656-3671 or 404-656-3667.
