The state’s agriculture department is investigating reports of a potentially deadly disease found in two horses at Cornell University.
Officials say they’ve confirmed two cases of equine herpes virus, better known as EHV-1.
They say a three-day-old foal that died of pneumonia back on March 25 showed the presence of the disease. And another horse was diagnosed with it five-days later.
EHV-1 is a common viral infection of horses that is highly contagious and can cause neurological disorders.
The University says 69 other horses may have been exposed to the disease. They are in the process of notifying the owners and have quarantined the equine hospital.
The Department of Agriculture is working to determine the source of the infection.
If you are the owner or caretaker of a horse that has been at the Equine Hospital at Cornell on or after March 18th, 2011 or that may have come in contact with a potentially exposed patient, the following guidelines are recommended:
– Isolate your animal, if possible. It is always recommended that horses returning from veterinary hospitals be isolated for three weeks when possible.
– Check your horse’s temperature twice a day for ten days. If the temperature is 102 degrees Fahrenheit or greater, contact your veterinarian immediately.
– If you care to test your horse, consult your veterinarian. At this time, the preferred test is PCR analysis performed on nasal swab specimens.
