Source:
Wyoming Department of Agriculture
The Office of the Wyoming State Veterinarian confirmed a case of Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy (EHM) at a private facility in Campbell County, Wyoming. On January 30, 2018 a 6-year-old QH gelding of unknown vaccination status at a private facility had rapid progression of hind leg ataxia, weakness, recumbency and normal cranial nerve response. The Wyoming Livestock Board was informed on Friday 2/3/18 of a horse in the Gillette area seen by a practitioner for rapidly progressive neurologic signs which upon referral was ultimately euthanized and transported to Colorado State University for necropsy. Nasal swabs taken before euthanasia were positive on PCR for EHV-1 wild type. On 2/5/18, a second horse in the Gillette area seen by another practitioner was reported as having a sudden onset of neurologic signs and is currently being treated and held in isolation at the veterinary facility. Results from nasal swabs and blood samples are pending from the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory. Horses stabled at the premise where the positive horses originated are being monitored with temperatures taken twice daily and recorded. Self-imposed quarantines at the recommendation of the Livestock Board are in place pending final necropsy report and test results respectively. Both of the positive horses had competed at the Cam-Plex in Gillette within the past three weeks, though neither had been stabled at the facility. There are no known affected horses at the Cam-Plex which will be instituting enhanced biosecurity measures and public awareness as well as releasing a precautionary statement to the public and those that may have been potentially exposed.