By Daniel Ross
One of trainer Peter Miller's barns at the San Luis Rey Downs training center in Southern California has been placed under quarantine, after a horse in his care diagnosed with the equine herpesvirus (EHV-1) was euthanized this week at a veterinary clinic, as first reported by the DRF.
California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) equine medical director, Jeff Blea, said Thursday that the quarantine period started Saturday Sept. 21. Blea added that the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has yet to determine how long the barn will be under quarantine.
“Movement [of horses] from that barn off the racetrack is forbidden until the quarantine is released,” said Blea, adding that a perimeter around that barn is either erected, “or is being erected today.”
There are similar restrictions on what personnel are permitted into the quarantined barn, said Blea.
“Each individual taking care of the horses will have PPE such as gloves, foot baths, essential biosecurity equipment necessary. Good biosecurity, good hygiene. That's what's critical,” said Blea.
“The people in the quarantine barn will essentially be the only people in that quarantine barn,” said Blea. “If you've got riders and hotwalkers in the non-quarantine barn and they need to go to the quarantine barn, once they go into the quarantine barn, they do not go back into the quarantine barn. They go home… It's a one-way traffic. There's no return.”
Blea added that while Miller has horses stabled in at least one other barn at San Luis Rey, only the one barn has been placed under a quarantine order. Blea added that he wasn't aware of the infectious EHV-1 having spread to other horses in Miller's care, or to horses in separate barns.
“All the horses are being closely monitored for any neurologic deficits, temperatures, dribbling-any sort of neurologic condition, any sort of temperature,” said Blea.
According to Blea, Miller's barn at Santa Anita is under no access restrictions. Miller's sole entry this weekend is on Saturday at Santa Anita, Ransom the Moon mare Ivory Moon in the first. Ivory Moon shipped in recently from Kentucky.
EHV-1 is a potentially fatal contagious equine virus that can also cause neurological and respiratory disease, along with newborn death and abortion.
The most common way for the virus to spread is through direct horse-to-horse contact, though experts say that it can also be spread though infected air droplets and contact with nasal discharge from infected horses.
Typical symptoms include fever, coughing and nasal discharge. If the virus manifests as a neurological problem, usual symptoms include hind-end weakness, loss of coordination, and leaning against walls or fences for balance.
Blea said he did not know the identity of the horse euthanized. “It wasn't a CHRB necropsy because it was after the 72 hours,” explained Blea, referencing state law which dictates that every horse that dies or is euthanized in California within 72 hours of leaving a facility is under the jurisdiction of the CHRB. “The horse went to a hospital clinic. That's where it was put down,” he said.
“The CDFA, myself and 1/ST Racing, Dr. [Dionne] Benson, we've been working together to make sure that we come up with a plan, and we execute that plan. Right now, we're looking in quite good shape,” said Blea. “We've just got to stay on top of it and keep vigilant.”
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