New Research from EMC on Surviving Equine Herpesvirus

On July 17, Virginia Tech’s Marion DuPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, Virginia announced that a new study led by its own team of Drs. Megan Marchitello, Krista Estell, Elsa Ludwig, and Professor Emeritus Nathaniel White; and former Virginia State Veterinarian Abby M. Sage; found that combining valacyclovir (an antiviral) with heparin (an anticoagulant) significantly reduced the incidence of equine herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy (EHM), the severe neurologic form of EHV-1 — and improved survival during naturally occurring outbreaks.

Looking back at a real-world EHV-1 outbreak, the team found that horses treated with the combination therapy had dramatically better outcomes than those who didn’t receive it, including several EHM-affected horses that survived and returned to work.

The study was published by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Click the button to read it in full.