DISCLAIMER: While the blogger's name may be "Yvette" (which, depending on how you pronounce it, may sound vaguely like 'a vet'), she has absolutely no training in veterinarian medicine. If you have additional questions or want more information about the EHV-1 outbreak and whether your horses are at risk, please consult your veterinarian and/or your State Department of Agriculture or local Agriculture Extensions.
As a scientist (but as stated above, one with no veterinary training!), I will admit to geeking out a bit over outbreaks, whether they be in birds, humans, or horses. It reminds me that no matter how awesome humans are with their big ol' brains, these little microbes with a genome the fraction of the size of ours will find a way to kick our butts. But as a horse owner who absolutely LOVES to compete, these outbreaks make me a bit frantic. Is my horse at risk? Does he have the right vaccines? Is that eye booger just an eye booger, or is it the beginning of the Apocalypse?
Eventually, the calm, cool, collected scientist portion of my personality takes over (I'll admit, it takes a while, and those of you who know me know I am a bit of a drama queen - it's part of my charm, really!) Once I get into Dr. Seger-mode, I can pretty much solve any problem in 4 steps:
- Identification
- Monitoring
- Responding
- Communication
Step 1 can also be referred to as "know thy enemy". What is EHV-1? EHV-1 is a highly contagious virus that can manifest itself in multiple ways - rhinopneumonitis, abortion of foals by broodmares, and myeloencephalopathy (a fancy word for "neurological complications"). Signs of EHV-1 may include fever, ataxia (we love fancy words - this one means being incoordinated when trying to move), weakness/paralysis in the hindquarters, and incontinence (dribbling/uncontrolled urination).
Step 2 for many of us will be "business as usual," (keeping a general eye on how your horse is behaving and looking for any of the above signs of illness), but in areas affected by the outbreak, your monitoring will be a bit more intense, such as taking temperatures twice a day and restricting movement of horses between facilities.
Step 3 is not just "responding," but "responding quickly"! If you suspect that your horse may be affected, call your vet and isolate the horse and any items used on the horse. EHV-1 is spread via aerosol transmission, hence why it is spreading so quickly. Ignoring the signs will only make things worse for the affected horse and any other unsuspecting horses on the farm.Step 4 is Communication. A lot of the "high level" reporting will be done by your veterinarian, but you have a responsibility as a horse owner to communicate with other owners at your barn as well as neighboring stables about any health situations your horse might have or encountered. Being open about a potential exposure of your horse to a highly contagious disease such as EHV-1 shows that you're a responsible horse owner and can help other owners plan for monitoring their own horses.
We are in the very earliest stages of this outbreak and defining the extent of infection; the best thing you can do is stay informed and aware, and luckily the internet allows agriculture officials to communicate information more rapidly than ever. Being aware of the issue and staying informed (the other side of step 4, communicate!) rather than hiding in a batcave and pretending there is not a problem is the best way for us to stop this outbreak in its tracks.
I know a lot of you have expressed concerns about how this may affect Festival, and I just want to reassure you that the National Office is monitoring the situation very closely. While we all want you to be able to come and enjoy the awesomeness that is Festival, we also need to make sure that all the horses arrive and leave the Kentucky Horse Park in the best of health!
58 days until FESTIVAL!!
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