Equine Herpes- diagnosis treatment, general info!

[poiuytrewq]

I know very little about this but its been confirmed at a few yards a little too close for comfort to me.
I understand once a horse has it they are always a carrier and that its sometimes present with no obvious symptoms.
This worries me as surely if there are now horses in the area effected its going to be impossible to avoid it spreading? However careful people are right now its not going to last forever is it?
The other concern I have is that I have had a batch of dubious hay recently which made my horse who is a bit sensitive to dust cough- I started to soak it and he improved. Hes on dust free bedding. The other two are on hay and straw but recently one other started coughing so I began to soak his hay.
This morning the original one was fine but the other two snotty. I would be putting it down to hay (although hay's not bothered either before) but after hearing this Herpes news im a little concerned.

 

[SillySausage]

Clinical signs:
- Mild fever, coughing and nasal discharge
- There are no warning signs before abortion in mares
- Horses effected ny paralytic EHV show inco-ordination, urine retention and recumbency.

Transmission:
- Most commonly via the respiratory route (eg. droplets from coughing and snorting). EHV is trasported in the air breathed in around the horse- not just from direct contact.
- Via aborted fetuses/fluids/infected foals
- Indirectly from the environment as the virus can live on equipment, clothing, in lorries etc.

Prevention:
- Do not let horses sniff noses with other horses at competitions, particularly if they are from other yards
-Do not go onto yards with possible infected horses unless essential
- Isolate any suspected horses
-Wear disposable gloves when moving between horses on the same yard if one horse is infected
-Do not share water buckets, troughs, equipment etc
- The virus is killed by heat and disinfectants so steam clean and disinfect (Eg. with Virkon) horses boxes, equipment, boots etc that may have been in contacted with infected horses
- Remember yougstock and broodmares are most at risk so do not mix other horses with these groups
- Vaccination is recommended of all breeding stock and is advisable for competition horses, hunters etc that may be mixing with a high number of horses from unknown yards, and from other areas.

Diagnosis: Any concerns - call your clinic. The incubation is approx 10 days, but diagnosis can be made by a blood sample/swabs (or by post mortem in aborted foals).