Source:
California Department of Food and Agriculture
Number Confirmed: 1Number Exposed: 9Facility Type: Event CenterAge: 17; Gender: Mare; Breed: Polo pony; Usage: Polo; Onset of Clinical Signs: 3/11/2023Clinical Signs: Dragging pelvic limb 2 days prior to decreased appetite, ataxia, and reactivity on cervical spinal palpation, then found recumbent and unable to rise the following morning. Afebrile.; Horse Status: Euthanized; Vaccination Status: Status UnknownComments: A 17-year-old polo horse mare at a polo facility in Riverside County displaying nonspecific lameness followed by severe neurological signs on March 14th was confirmed positive for Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy (EHM) secondary to Equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1, non-neuropathogenic strain) on March 16th. The mare had not participated in any practices or matches over the past week, and was euthanized due to severity of clinical signs. Nine (9) horses housed with the index case were immediately isolated at an adjacent empty premises and subsequently quarantined with enhanced biosecurity measures implemented. CDFA is working with the attending veterinarian and polo club management to ensure all horses that have visited the polo facility in the past two weeks are monitored closely and owners adhere to biosecurity recommendations both at the polo facility and their home premises. Out of abundance of caution, all polo activities in the local area have been voluntarily postponed until further notice. CDFA will continue to closely and actively monitor the situation. For more information and updates, go to: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/Animal_Health/equine_herpes_virus.html