Daily Activity/Situation Report
10/30/07
The 19 Horses stabled in Barn 47A remain under the Department of Agriculuture's Order of Quarantine.
This group of animals continues to be monitored and evaluated daily with no abnormal findings reported to date.
Restrictions placed on the 16 horses stabled in Barn 47B were rescinded based on the epidemiology report completed on Oct 29, allowing this stable of horses to return to their normal daily acitivites.
After reviewing the epidemiological information, Ky State Veterinarian Robert Stout concurred that the 16 horses stabled in Barn 47A have satisfactorily demonstrated that none of the horses in the stable are affected with an active EHV-1 infection. In addition, the data also supported the opportunity of any of these horses having become exposed to an active infection is considered minimal. With this interpretation, Dr. Robert Stout has directed that restrictions placed on the stable of horses in Barn 47B at Churchill Downs be rescinded.
10/29/07
Horses in Barns 47A and B continued to be monitored with no abnormalities detected.
An evaluation of the 35 horses and the physical structure of Barn 47A and B was conducted. In addition to this evaluation, veterinarians attending to the 16 horses stabled in Barn 47B were consulted and reaffirmed that there has been no evidence of illness detected in any of the 16 horses stabled in Barn 47B.
Epidemiological information compiled and analyzed includes:
1) Vaccination status of the horses
2) Negative results of PCR testing conducted on each of the horses in the stable from both nasal swab and whole blood
3) The physical structure of Barn 47 having a solid firewall with no shared airspace between the two resident stables
4) Each stable on either side of the firewall routinely implement and practice good biosecurity standards
5) The virus detected as affecting the one horse on the opposite side of the firewall (47A) is considered to be affected with a low virulent strain of the herpes virus
10/28/07
Horses in Barns 47A and B continued to be monitored with no abnormalities detected
10/27/2007
The KY State Veterinarians Office, in consultation with experts familiar with the diagnosis, treatment and transmission of equine herpes viruses reviewed the available diagnostic results and concluded the index case was detected early in the disease event. Subsequent testing of the index case continued to support the conclusion that this animal was removed from the environment prior to having the opportunity of significant viral shedding.
In addition to the index case, results from samples collected from the barn's population were reviewed. These results provided evidence that non of the horses housed in the barn are currently affected with a herpes infection.
10/26/2007
Barns 47A (19 horses) and 47B (16 horses) at Churchill Downs were quarantined following confirmation of EHV-1 affecting a single horse in Barn 47A.
Nasal Swabs and Buffy Coat samples were collected from each of the horses in 47 A and B and submitted to Equine Biodiagnsotics in Lexington for PCR assays to be completed.
Results of the testing revealed no evidence of other horses in the 2 barns having recent exposure to the virus with each of the samples testing negative.
Biosecurity practices utilized in the barn, on the backside and on the track, paddock and detention barn were reviewed by the KY State Veterinarians Office with adjustments made to better minimize the risk of transmission of the disease causing agent.
Horses in Barns 47A and B were ordered to be monitored for fevers a minimum of 3 times daily, with a log of each animals temperature maintained in the barn area.
.
10/25/2007
Notification of a horse showing neurologic abnormalities was received by the KY State Veterinarians office at 6:30am.
Rusty Ford, equine programs manager, after consulting the attending veterinarian, notified Churchill Downs at 6:45arn that Barns 47A and 47B were to be locked down with no movement of horses into or out of the barn.
The affected animal was transported to a Lexington, KY equine hospital for examination and treatment.
Diagnostic samples collected from the affected horse confirmed the presence of EHV-1 DNA by nasal swab. There was no DNA detected in the whole blood sample that was submitted. Churchill Downs was advised of the diagnosis of EHV-1 infection with neurologic involvement. The KY Department of Agriculture directed that security be placed on the barn to limit equine and human traffic in and around the barn to essential personnel only.
Also See:
|
