Disease Alerts

Number Confirmed: 1; 
Number Suspected: Unknown; 
Number Exposed: Unknown; 
Number Euthanized: 1; 

Horse 1: 
Horse Status: Euthanized; Vaccination Status: Unvaccinated;

Comments: The Vermont Agency of Agriculture received confirmation this week of a positive Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) test in a horse. This case is in Orleans County, a location in Vermont that had not previously been identified as having any mosquitoes testing positive for EEE. It is the second horse testing positive this year. The horse was unvaccinated and is now deceased. The horse was tested on October 4. It likely contracted the disease mid-September during a period of warmer than normal weather.;

Number Confirmed: 1; 
Number Suspected: Unknown; 
Number Exposed: Unknown; 
Number Euthanized: 1; 
Facility Type: Farm;

Number Confirmed: 1; 
Number Exposed: Unknown; 
Number Euthanized: 1; 

Horse 1: 
Age: 12; Gender: Gelding; Breed: Percheron; Onset of Clinical Signs: 9/23/2024; Clinical Signs: Down with an inability to rise; Confirmation Date: 10/17/2024; Horse Status: Euthanized; Vaccination Status: Unvaccinated;

Number Confirmed: 1; 
Number Exposed: Unknown; 
Facility Type: Private Facility; 

Horse 1: 
Age: 6; Gender: Gelding; Breed: Quarter Horse (QH); Usage: Pleasure Riding; Onset of Clinical Signs: 10/15/2024; Clinical Signs: Lethargic, Muscle Fasciculation (Face/Shoulder); Confirmation Date: 10/18/2024; Horse Status: Affected And Alive; Vaccination Status: Unvaccinated;

Comments: This is Kentucky's 8th West Nile Virus equine confirmed this calendar year;

Number Confirmed: 12; 
Number Suspected: Unknown; 
Number Exposed: Unknown; 
Number Euthanized: 12; 
Comments: The previous three (3) horses that were in quarantine for close exposure on the Orange County premises were re-tested and confirmed positive for EIA. During our ongoing investigation into this case an additional thirty-six (36) potentially exposed horses on the premises, all within the same training group, were tested and two (2) horses in this group were confirmed positive for EIA. A confirmed EIA positive equid must be euthanized or quarantined for life 200 yards away from any EIA negative equid as per USDA EIA program rules. Euthanasia was elected for these five (5) confirmed cases and witnessed on October 16th by CDFA veterinarians. This brings the total number of positives in this cohort to twelve (12) horses in California. Close contact horses to the affected cases deemed potentially exposed, will remain under quarantine until their sixty (60) day retest samples are completed as per CDFA and USDA program requirements.; 
Previous Alerts: 4020, 4018

Number Confirmed: 22

Facility Type: Racetracks

Comments: Multi-State Equine Infectious Anemia Outbreak in Quarter Horse Racehorses

On September 20^th and 24^th, the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) confirmed equine infectious anemia (EIA)-positive results in 4 Quarter Horse racehorses that were part of a group recently moved from racing in New Mexico to Los Alamitos in California.  Several of the EIA-positive horses were showing clinical signs of EIA upon arrival to California.  Testing of in-contact horses in California and epidemiologically-linked horses in Texas and New Mexico has yielded an additional 18 EIA-positive horses to date. All 22 EIA-positive horses (12 in CA, 2 in NM, 8 in TX) were racing under the same trainer and attending the same series of sanctioned races in New Mexico in August and September. Additional exposed horses have been identified and are in the process of being tested in multiple states.  The current epidemiological investigation indicates that spread of EIA among these horses occurred by iatrogenic transmission. Twenty (20) of the 22 EIA-positive horses have been euthanized, 1 horse remains quarantined in New Mexico, and 1 horse died of the disease. Updates to the current situation will be posted as more information becomes available. Prior Alerts: 4020, 4041, 4042

Number Confirmed: 1; 
Number Suspected: Unknown; 
Number Exposed: Unknown; 

Horse 1: 
Age: 2; Gender: Mare; Breed: Quarter Horse (QH); Onset of Clinical Signs: 9/18/2024; Clinical Signs: fever, ataxia, altered mental state; Confirmation Date: 10/11/2024; Horse Status: Recovering; Vaccination Status: Unvaccinated;

Number Confirmed: 1; 
Number Exposed: Unknown; 
Number Euthanized: 1; 

Horse 1: 
Age: 1; Gender: Gelding; Breed: Quarter Horse (QH); Onset of Clinical Signs: 10/5/2024; Clinical Signs: Staggering, falling down, salivating, altered mentation, progressing to being down with an inability to get back up.; Confirmation Date: 10/16/2024; Horse Status: Euthanized; Vaccination Status: Unvaccinated;

Number Confirmed: 1; 
Number Exposed: 1; 

Horse 1: 
Gender: Gelding; Clinical Signs: This gelding was noted to be "not quite right" by the owner a few days before he was examined by the veterinarian on September 23rd who diagnosed a low grade fever, muscle fasciculations of the triceps muscle and sore front feet. Upon re-examination a few days later, he was noted to have twitching of the lower lip and ataxia. He has since recovered.; Confirmation Date: 10/10/2024; Horse Status: Recovered; Vaccination Status: Unvaccinated;

Comments: This is the 9th equine case of WNV in Ontario this year. To see past and present WNV cases in Ontario go to: https://www.oahn.ca/resources/ontario-equine-disease-alerts/ and enter the disease surveillance portal. To see past and present WNV cases in Canada, go to: https://cahss.ca/cahss-networks/equine and enter the equine dashboard.;

Number Confirmed: 1; 
Number Suspected: Unknown; 
Number Exposed: Unknown; 

Horse 1: 
Age: 2; Gender: Mare; Breed: Standardbred; Onset of Clinical Signs: 9/23/2024; Clinical Signs: Ataxia, muscle tremors, grand mal seizure; Confirmation Date: 10/8/2024; Horse Status: Unknown; Vaccination Status: Unvaccinated;