Virus isolation times?

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brown tack

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There's a yard by me that has had an virus. They have had the vet ect but were unable to come up with an exact illness, and just treated as an virus.

Now a few liveries from that yard want to move to mine. But what would the isolation time be? I'm thinking 6weeks from the last know signs, YO asked me tonight on my thoughts and said 6weeks. He's going to get in contact with the vet to check for certain.

However want to be 100% sure that it isn't going spread on the new yard, ESP as I've got a 3yr old which will more likely to catch anything due to his age, and has only started his vac's last week. Then the stables are next to him too, and we've got bars that the horses can poke noses though. Also it the side barn (were I am) there s a few older horses 18+ which again would be higher risk.

I can't move my horse into the main barn a) due to no stables b) cos he jumps over stables doors and his stable has got a built in grid on the door so he can't get his head over.

I don't want to be a pain to the YO nor the new livieries but does 6weeks sound right?
 
You say they treated the virus, do you know how they treated it? I would want to know exactly what this mysterious virus was and what the symptoms were before accepting these horses onto my premises. Viruses can be very difficult to treat and there's few things which can be used as antiviral treatments.
 
As far as I know just antibiotics and bute, along with monitoring the horses. My worry is that the liveries need to move ASAP, so am just a bit worried that the horses may of had it within the 6weeks, and they are going to lie so they can move quicker.
 
Antibiotics cannot treat viruses. I would want to know exactly which antibiotics had been used and then perhaps you can work out what type of bacteria you are up against. It sounds like there is something going on at their yard which they've all had a fright over and are panicking to leave. I wouldn't be surprised if they have strangles ... I've seen this sort of mass-exodus try to happen before because of strangles. Be very wary of what they are telling you as it sounds like fibs to me!
 
That's why I've posted I'm normally quite about these things as long as the correct protor call has been followed. I know it's not strangles, but it was first thought to be, but every thing came back clear.

Just worried as to having an baby too.

I know that's it's knocked some horses for 6, and one has picked up something else due to having an low immue system, which we are told to believe that isn't contagious. But who's to know?
 
Well strangles is the streptococcus equi bacterium but I have heard of slight morphing of strep which presents itself as a lesser degree of full blown strangles. Bacterial infections and viruses are usually contagious. I'd tread warily until you have further facts about what antibiotics were used. The antibiotics sound like they'd be the most useful clue to you figuring out exactly what is wrong with these horses.
 
Spring Feather said:
The antibiotics sound like they'd be the most useful clue to you figuring out exactly what is wrong with these horses.
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Really? If it was a virus, which it may well have been, the vet probably just gave broad spec ABs as a precaution on top of good husbandry for the virus they suspected it was. The vet, never mind the liveries, probably have no idea what caused it and were just covering their bases. Call me a cynic if you like but that is my experience of vets treating what they think is a virus!
 
jesstickle said:
Really? If it was a virus, which it may well have been, the vet probably just gave broad spec ABs as a precaution on top of good husbandry for the virus they suspected it was. The vet, never mind the liveries, probably have no idea what caused it and were just covering their bases. Call me a cynic if you like but that is my experience of vets treating what they think is a virus!
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Maybe. I'd still be interested to know if it was penicillin or a sulfa based antibiotic.
 
I definitely agree that the OP should find out as much as possible. But my suspicion will be that there won't be an answer. Like I say, total cynic! :)
 
jesstickle said:
Really? If it was a virus, which it may well have been, the vet probably just gave broad spec ABs as a precaution on top of good husbandry for the virus they suspected it was. The vet, never mind the liveries, probably have no idea what caused it and were just covering their bases. Call me a cynic if you like but that is my experience of vets treating what they think is a virus!
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Hmm to blanket with even broad spectrum antibiotics for a virus, they either think theres a high risk of secondary infection developing from the virus, or imo its poor use of antibiotics, and why theyre becoming less effective.
 
marydoll said:
Hmm to blanket with even broad spectrum antibiotics for a virus, they either think theres a high risk of secondary infection developing from the virus, or imo its poor use of antibiotics, and why theyre becoming less effective.
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It could be that I'm being unfair. I only know one horse who was seriously ill with a 'virus' and the treatment was fluids (horse was ill enough to be admitted for an IV) and antibiotics because they couldn't pin down what it was and it could have been viral or bacterial. I'm not a vet so I don't know how many infectious agents there are effective test for but I'm going to bet not a lot and so guessing whether viral or bacterial is probably just that. A guess.
 
My horse just had the virus that SpringFeather is talking about, was a strain of the strangles virus which only presented some of the symptoms. Mine god the pussy abcesses, hence why we panicked when we found them! He was in isolation for 3 weeks while we took precautions and assumed it was strangles, but as soon as we realised it wasnt he came out. We then realised that about 4 other horses had probably had it, just pronounced in different ways. If we had known from the offset it wasnt strangles I doubt he would have gone into isolation tbh. None of the horses had treatment, and now its likely they are immune from strangles.

I would get in contact with their vet and find out exact details. I wouldnt be worrying about a virus to be completely honest, the owners of some youngsters were hoping theirs might get this virus to protect and immune them from full blown strangles. If you want to be cautious, I would say 4 weeks would be plenty based on my experience.
 
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