Category: Health

ADDITIONAL EHV-1 POSITIVES AT FAIR GROUNDS

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By BloodHorse Staff

A total of 10 horses have tested positive for equine herpesvirus at Fair Grounds

Three additional horses tested positive for equine herpesvirus Jan. 10 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, the Louisiana oval reported the following day. All three were positive for the EHV-1 non-neurogenic type, also called the “wild type” strain.

One horse in Barn 4, trained by Merrill Scherer, returned a positive test after originally returning negative results Jan. 7. Barn 4 has been placed under a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Another horse in Barn 47, trained by Kenneth Hargrave, returned a positive test after originally returning negative results Jan. 7. Barn 47’s 14-day quarantine period has been reset.

A horse in Barn 30, trained by Tim Glyshaw, spiked a fever late Jan. 9 and returned a positive test after having blood pulled Jan. 10. Barn 30 has been placed under a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Fair Grounds has been dealing with the outbreak since Dec. 26, when an unraced 2-year-old filly was euthanized as a result of the infection. Oaklawn Park and the state of Kentucky have placed restrictions upon horses traveling from Louisiana. Keeneland and the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. both required withdrawal of Louisiana-based horses from their respective January sales.

Under the guidance of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and the USDA, Fair Grounds o cials continue to monitor the situation closely and will follow all protocols as directed by those two governing bodies.

EHV-1 Scare, Shipping Bans Decimate Fields At Louisiana Racetracks

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by  | 01.09.2017 | 5:15pm

Paulick Report

As Christmas Day approached, things were looking very positive at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans. The track was showing significant increases year over year in handle and field sizes averaged around nine per race, up a horse per race from a year earlier.

Then, the call came in that a horse in Barn 14 tested positive for the equine herpesvirus. The strain of the disease, EHV-1, is highly contagious and can prove fatal. Louisiana’s Department of Agriculture installed a quarantine on Barn 14, and since then, six other horses have tested positive for EHV-1, some of them to a different strain that doesn’t target the nervous system, and three more barns have been quarantined. The track also imposed a ban on shipping in or out.

“We were feeling good about ourselves, and then all of the sudden, this bombshell hits us, and you just get back to reality and face it and deal with it,” said Jason Boulet, Fair Grounds’ senior director of racing.

Boulet hasn’t crunched the numbers in the new year, but the anectodal evidence suggests the shipping ban is having a serious impact on field sizes and most likely handle. Primarily stewards’ scratches, presumably the result of horses not shipping in, led to a three-horse field on Saturday and a two-horse race on Sunday.

“We average about 15 to 20 ship-ins per day for our racing program, so we depend on those horses to make our field sizes what they are,” said Boulet. “When you shut that down, it pretty much brings down the starters per race by one or two horses.”

Soggy turf course conditions over the weekend didn’t help matters. Off-the-turf races led to even more scratches.

The racing product is struggling across the state at Delta Downs, too. Despite not having any EHV-1 positives, Delta Downs also imposed a ban on shipping. For Saturday’s nine-race card, 42 of 92 entries were scratched by stewards. The third race saw a maiden special weight field whittled from 10 down to two. The numbers make sense. About half of any given card at Delta Downs might be comprised of shippers, according to Louisiana Racing Commission Executive Director Charlie Gardiner. It appears the rumor mill is churning, and the backside is buzzing with concern about EHV-1.

“Our racing is suffering right now and except for Fair Grounds, which is an unusual situation, I don’t think the same restrictions are warranted at Delta,” said Gardiner. “Sometimes, the worst part of the virus is the paranoia and fear that it strikes in others. A lot of times the fear is greater than the actual facts.”

At the same time, Gardiner said, “we want the tracks to have the autonomy to do what they think is in their best interests.”

Delta announced Monday that it would extend its quarantine on shipping until Jan. 16 and issued the following statement: “We still have not any reports of EHV-1 at Delta Downs, but are extending the quarantine out of an abundance of caution, in order to avoid the further spread of EHV-1 at our state’s racetracks.  We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause to owners and trainers, and appreciate their understanding and support.”

“I can’t blame them; they’re trying to do the right thing,” said Boulet, “but they have hurt a lot of the horsemen in the in-between spots, the training centers and farms (by not allowing ship-ins).”

Boulet said Fair Grounds is doing everything it can to get the situation resolved sooner than later. Track owner Churchill Downs Inc. has invited equine infectious disease expert Dr. Nathan Slovis from Kentucky’s Hagyard Equine Medical Institute to visit Fair Grounds Tuesday and meet with state officials. There will also be a question and answer session with horsemen.

Friday will mark the end of the 14-day quarantine period for Barn 14, where the first positive test occurred. The quarantine won’t be lifted automatically; the state still must officially approve an exit plan, but both Boulet and Gardiner are confident the track is turning the corner.

“When we get past this week, and we start to release some of these quarantines that are happening at Fair Grounds, and I’m confident that’s going to happen soon, we’ll get back to normal,” said Gardiner.

“If we can through this one process and the state lets us out,” echoed Boulet, “then we can try to get out of this thing as quickly as possible.”

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Copyright © 2017 Paulick Report.

What is ERU?

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Dr. Boggs explains why your horse’s health could be at risk.

QUESTION 

 

A horse at my barn was diagnosed with ERU – what is it?

 

ANSWER

Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU), also known as moon blindness, is a painful condition where repeated occurrences of inflammation in the eye can cause permanent damage. The inflammation may cause career or even life-ending complications, explains Jacquelin Boggs, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, senior technical services veterinarian with Zoetis. ERU is the most common cause of blindness in horses worldwide.1

 

ERU is characterized by repeated occurrences, or flares, over the course of the horse’s life. The painful flares can reoccur months or even years apart; however, the interval between flares often shortens over the horse’s lifetime. With ERU, the horse’s immune system inappropriately attacks normal or host proteins in the eye, causing damage that can lead to blindness.

 

ERU can affect one or both eyes. You may notice an affected eye appearing cloudy or discolored. Your horse may squint or tear excessively, and the pupil may be constricted. These are frequently the first signs, with more severe changes to the eye developing with subsequent flare-ups. There is no cure for ERU. Even with the best treatment, many horses that develop recurrent uveitis won’t return to their previous level of performance.2

 

Equine recurrent uveitis is a multifactorial disease with a number of initial triggers. While there are many potential triggers, research indicates that the No. 1 trigger is leptospiral organisms, representing up to 70% of the ERU cases.3,4

Potential risk factors for Leptospira-associated uveitis include:

 

–          Access to standing water or ponds

–          Seasons that are wetter than usual

–          Pasture flooding

–          Exposure to skunks, white-tailed deer, raccoons, opossums or other wildlife near your horse’s pasture or barn

–          Keeping feed in open containers or feeding on the ground

–          Other animals on the property that have had ERU or mares that have aborted

 

To see if your horse is at risk for leptospirosis and to learn more about this potentially deadly disease, visit www.LEPTOEQINNOVATOR.com. 

 

1 Dwyer AE, Crockett RS, Kalsow CM. Association of leptospiral seroreactivity and breed with uveitis and blindness in horses: 372 cases (1986-1993). J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1995;207(10):1327-1331.

2 Gerding JC, Gilger BC. Prognosis and impact of equine recurrent uveitis. Equine Vet J. 2016;48(3):290-298.

3 Polle F, Storey E, Eades S, et al. Role of intraocular Leptospira infections in the pathogenesis of equine recurrent uveitis in the southern United States. J Equine Vet Sci. 2014;34(11-12):1300-1306.

4 Borstel MV, Oey L, Strutzberg-Minder K, Boeve MH, Ohnesorge B. Direkter und indirekter Nachweis von Leptospiren aus Glask perproben von Pferden mit ERU. Pferdeheilkunde. 2010;2(M rz/April):219-225.

 

All trademarks are the property of Zoetis Services LLC or a related company or a licensor unless otherwise noted.
© 2016 Zoetis Services LLC. All rights reserved. LEI-00058

 

Delta Downs To Prevent Horses From Entering Or Leaving Backside

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As of 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 2, Delta Downs in Vinton, LA is no longer allowing horses on or off the backside. According to stall superintendent Tami Myers, the action is not a result of of any equine herpesvirus outbreak at the track.

“We are taking this action purely as a precaution, trying to prevent an infection,” said Myers. “Horses that are currently on the grounds will be allowed to race.”

Fair Grounds Racecourse, approximately 3 1/2 hours away from Delta by car, has reported four positive tests for EHV in the past several days, and is also under quarantine with no horses allowed on or off the grounds.

FAIR GROUNDS BACKSTRETCH UNDER QUARANTINE, Racing Continues

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Fair Grounds continues racing but no horses will be permitted to ship in or out of the facility

Two more horses on the backstretch at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots spiked temperatures Jan. 2 and as a result the entirety of the Fair Grounds backstretch is under quarantine.

No horses will be permitted to ship in or ship out of Fair Grounds. Track o cials, in concert with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of Agriculture, continue to monitor the situation and follow all protocols as directed by those two governing bodies.

Oaklawn Park, working in conjunction with the Arkansas State Racing Commission, is restricting horses from Louisiana. No horses that have been in Louisiana in the past 30 days will be permitted on the grounds until further notice.

 

Second and Third Horses Test Positive for EHV-1 At Fair Grounds

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A second horse has tested positive for EHV-1 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in New Orleans, La. The strain of the disease can be accompanied by neurological symptoms and can prove fatal in horses. The horse, trained by Jeff Thornbury, was housed in Barn 14 which is currently under mandated quarantine by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture. The infected horse has been isolated from the regular barn area and will have no interaction with the rest of the horse population on the backstretch.

A third horse has also tested positive for equine herpes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in New Orleans, La. The horse, trained by Mike Stidham, resides in Barn 36 and contracted EHV-1 nonneurogenic type, also called “wild type” strain. This strain is different than the strain of EHV- 1 that has affected two horses in Barn 14 in the previous week. The infected horse has been isolated from the rest of the backstretch population in a different area than the previously isolated horse due to the differing strains.

The positive test from Barn 36 does not affect the currently mandated quarantine of Barn 14, and that barn’s 14-day quarantine period continues as is. The mandated 14-day quarantine of Barn 14 that originally started on Dec. 26 has

been reset following the second confirmed case and started anew effective Dec. 31. All horses in the affected barn will be monitored, and if no horses test positive for the virus and do not show symptoms, the quarantine may be lifted at the discretion of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture.

Fair Grounds officials continue to monitor the situation closely under the guidance of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and the USDA, and continue to follow all protocols as directed by those two governing bodies.

At this time, under the direction of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture, the quarantine continues to have no impact on horses shipping out or shipping in for races as long as they arrive with proper vaccination documents. All horses shipping in will be required to use the Belfort Street entrance.

Tips on Feeding Horses Hay-Based Diets

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According to the National Research Council’s Nutrient Requirements of Horses, many mature horses can maintain a healthy body weight by consuming a diet composed solely of forage, in addition to clean water and salt. Here are some tips for managing horses on hay-based diets.

  1. Weigh your horse’s hay, and feed based on your horse’s target body weight. Ensure your horse is receiving 1.5–2.5% of its body weight in forage each day.
  2. Have a veterinarian or equine dentist routinely examine and treat your horse’s teeth. Don’t assume the horse has a functional mouth if you simply pull back his lips and find a full set of incisors. These front teeth are usually the last ones lost by aged horses. The molars you don’t see grind forage. If your horse is not able to chew its hay sufficiently, consider alternative forage sources.
  3. If the horse is overweight, restrict grazing and offer mature hay with lower digestible sugars and higher indigestible fiber. However, be sure that the horse will actually eat the hay and not just use it for bedding.
  4. Feed off the ground to minimize the chance of sand colic in areas where this is a concern. Use nets, feed bunks, feed racks, or place the hay on rubber mats.
  5. Hay shortage in your area? Consider other forage sources: hay cubes, alfalfa or grass hay pellets, chopped forages, shredded beet pulp, or soy hull pellets.
  6. Invest in a few hay nets. Use of hay nets will keep forage off the ground and away from sand and bedding dust; make it easy to weigh and preload hay to quickly feed hungry horses on busy days; and potentially slow consumption.
  7. Soak or steam hay to reduce dust if your horse has a respiratory ailment or to reduce the water-soluble sugar content for horses with endocrine abnormalities or chronic laminitis.

In the case of harder keepers, a forage-only diet can be challenging. Making sure the horse has the best-quality forage will go a long way to increasing the caloric intake. Abundant grass and legumes, like clover, in the pasture and high-quality alfalfa, grass, or mixed hay with a high leaf-to-stem ratio are excellent sources of forage calories. Supplementing with forage alternatives, such as hay cubes and pellets or beet pulp, will further increase calorie consumption.

An all-forage diet does not, however, work for every horse in every circumstance. Depending on the origin of the forage and the individual horse, additional minerals and vitamins may be necessary to balance out the deficiencies of the forage. Deficiencies can be corrected through the use of a ration balancer or a vitamin and mineral supplement, such as Micro-Max™, which is a low-intake concentrated source of vitamins and minerals for mature horses. Micro-Max is ideal for horses that maintain body weight on diets composed entirely of forage or forage and small amounts of concentrate. Learn more.

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Kentucky Equine Research (KER) is an international equine nutrition, research and consultation company serving both the horse producer and the feed industry. Its goal is to advance the industry’s knowledge of equine nutrition and exercise physiology and apply this knowledge to produce healthier, more athletic horses. For more information, see www.ker.com or call 888-873-1988.

Fair Grounds Barn Under Quarantine

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Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Barn 14 at the Fair Grounds has been placed under quarantine by the State of Louisiana’s Department of Agriculture after a horse residing in the barn tested positive for a strain of Equine Herpes Virus known as EHV-1. The infected horse, an unraced 2-year-old filly trained by Alice Cohn, was euthanized Monday.

Horses currently stabled in Barn 14 will not be permitted to leave the property until the quarantine has been lifted and will only be permitted to train during a specific period after regular training hours. All residents of Barn 14 will continue to be monitored and is none show signs of or test positive for the virus, the quarantine will be lifted at the end of the standard 14-day period.

The quarantine will not affect horses shipping in for races as long as they have the proper vaccination documents.

Report: Equine Herpesvirus Case Confirmed At Fair Grounds

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by  | 12.26.2016 | 10:27pm 

Fair Grounds Race Course
Fair Grounds Race Course

Fair Grounds officials on Monday have taken preliminary steps to quarantine a barn in which a horse tested positive for equine herpesvirus, Daily Racing Form reports. The report was based on confirmation by Jason Boulet, the track’s senior director of racing.

A Fair Grounds trainer who spoke to the Paulick Report said test results came back Monday confirming the finding.

Equine herpesvirus, a highly contagious disease. has one strain, EHV-1, that can be accompanied by neurological symptoms and may prove fatal for some horses. Daily Racing Form reported, based on a source familiar with the situation, that the horse testing positive died on Sunday.

Officials with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry were expected to be at Fair Grounds early Tuesday morning to determine what quarantine protocols will be necessary.

There are nine strains of equine herpesvirus on record, and many horses are exposed to some form of EHV with no serious side effects or symptoms. Three strains are considered serious health risks, including EHV-1, which may present with fever and respiratory symptoms and can also carry neurological symptoms and a risk of death. Symptoms of the neurologic form of EHV-1 include fever and nasal discharge, followed by lack of coordination, lethargy, head tilt, and inability to balance or stand. EHV-1 is highly contagious and may be transmitted through contaminated equipment, contact between horses, and on clothing or hands of humans working with sick horses. Veterinarians aren’t sure how long the virus can survive in the environment, or how well it travels through the air. The Paulick Report compiled a list of frequently-asked questions about EHV-1 during an outbreak at Sunland Park earlier this year.

The most recent case of equine herpesvirus at a racetrack occurred at Gulfstream Park in November. Horses in the quarantined barn were permitted to train but at separate times from the general population. The horses were tested and had their temperatures monitored during a 14-day quarantine period. There being no further positive tests, the quarantine was lifted after 14 days.

A website maintained by the Equine Disease Communication Center provides updates on equine herpesvirus and other equine diseases. Alerts on outbreaks can be found here.