11/21/2025
An update on the recent Equine Herpes Virus outbreak for our valued equine clients:
What we know:
• The outbreak is caused by Equine Herpes Virus 1 (EHV-1) which most commonly presents as respiratory disease. However, this particular strain of EHV-1 is manifesting as neurologic signs and is termed Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy (EHM)
• We are able to vaccinate for EHV-1 with our yearly Rhino/Flu shots, but there is no specific vaccine for the neurologic EHM strain.
• There are currently no confirmed cases of EHM in the state of Tennessee
What you should know:
• If your horses have recently traveled to or been exposed to horses that have traveled to the states of origin of the outbreak (Texas and Oklahoma) you should monitor closely for signs of disease and call your veterinarian immediately if any are noted.
• Clinical signs of EHM: fever, hind end weakness, toe dragging, inability to rise, urine dribbling, lethargy, any other abnormal behavior or neurologic signs. Classic EHV-1 displays respiratory signs such as fever, cough, nasal discharge, lethargy, and increased respiratory rate and/or effort
• EHV-1 is spread through respiratory secretions. Anywhere a horse can put its nose or sneeze/ cough can be contaminated and be a potential hazard to spread disease.
• If your horses have potentially been exposed, stop any travel or moving of horses on or off property and call your veterinarian to discuss a testing and quarantine plan.
How you can monitor and help prevent spread of EHV-1:
• Check your horse’s temperature twice daily and notify your veterinarian if a fever develops (not all horses with EHV-1 will have a fever, their fevers may develop for a short period of time and may not be caught during routine temperature checks)
• Stop unnecessary travel if able (shows, camping, trail rides, etc) to limit exposure to other horses
• Practice good biosecurity in your barn - sanitize hands between horses, try to limit shared resources (water troughs, buckets, halters, etc), and avoid mingling horses that are not currently stalled next to or pastured together
How we are helping prevent spread of EHV-1:
• Taking thorough history of travel and clinical signs of all horses we see to assess their risk of carrying EHV-1
• Testing any potential cases of EHV-1 that show respiratory or neurologic signs
• Recording temperatures of all horses that come to the clinic prior to admittance into the hospital
• Performing strict disinfection of equipment and personnel between farm calls
Call us today to discuss any concerns for your horses or farm regarding this outbreak. Together we’ll make a plan to help keep your horses healthy and safe during this time.
