On November 17, the. Maryland Department of Agriculture confirmed a fatal case of equine herpesvirus-neurological (EHV-1) in St. Mary’s County.
According to the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC), the 21-year-old Paint gelding was found “down in the pasture, unable to use [his] back legs to stand.” The EDCC alert said the horse could “stand with a sling” and that the attending veterinarian noted “some urine dribbling.” EDCC’s alert said that the horse had “no fever but decreased anal tone and ataxic on hind limbs.” Once the horse was up, he was “able to stay standing and walk around in a flat area before tripping and going down.” The owner and the veterinarian “elected humane euthanasia elected at that time.”
The horse had previously been vaccinated. It is not known how many other horses may have been exposed.
The Maryland Department of Agriculture does not have a fact sheet abou EHV, but the American Association of Equine Practitioners has an FAQ about herpesvirus for horse owners.
The equine genetics company Etalon has a graphic about the neurological EHV symptoms to watch for.
