Winter Weather Alert: State monitoring deadly horse virus at Hollywood Gaming Mahoning Valley
Horse racing at Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course has been disrupted due to a deadly horse virus. The state of Ohio is currently monitoring a quarantined barn in Austintown after a horse was euthanized with the neurological form of EHV-1, or equine herpesviruses type 1.
EHV-1 is a potentially deadly variant of the virus and is highly contagious and easily transferable through nasal excretions to other horses and through direct contact between horses. When the EHV-1 virus is found, it must be reported to the State of Ohio Department of Agriculture and state veterinarians within the department, who must mandate a plan of action to prevent the disease from spreading.
Dr. Dennis Summers, the State Veterinarian for the Ohio Division Chief for Animal Health for the Department of Agriculture, explained that while equine herpesviruses are found in most horses, EHV-1 in the neurological form can be deadly to horses. He emphasized that during times of stress, the virus will flare up and start replicating in the body. Horses sometimes get infected when they are young, as juveniles, and then it kind of stays with them for life. If EHV-1 manifests into a neurological form, it can be fatal if not dealt with appropriately and must be reported to the state. Horses with the deadly form of EHV-1 can become unstable and show signs of spinal cord or brain issues, and if the horse tests positive, the state intervenes.
When outbreaks are reported, the state regulators take over and quarantine the sick animal, giving the time for the virus to stop being shed from the horse. Isolation is typically for a period of 21 to 30 days to make sure the virus is no longer present. The quarantine is done to reduce movement, stress, and exposure on the horse.
Summers also mentioned that while people can’t get this strain of the virus, they can transfer the disease through clothing or shoes that come in contact with the virus. This has raised concerns about the risk of transmission at a racetrack due to the number of horses in and out of the facility.
The outbreak has disrupted horse racing at Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course, with one group of horses unable to race due to the disease quarantining all the horses in one of the facility’s stables. The situation is being closely monitored by the state authorities to prevent the spread of the deadly virus and ensure the safety of the horses.
