What Are the Treatments for Equine Herpes Virus?

Equine Herpes

• The equine herpes virus is a viral disease that is contagious. It is often referred to as rhinopneumonitis, or the ̶0;rhino virus.̶1; This disease is very serious and can be deadly.

Spreading the Virus

• It can be spread among horses through the air (by horses coughing or sneezing) or through contact (such as sharing food). While it isn't contagious to humans, they can spread the disease from horse to horse if the virus gets on their clothing, hands or anything else that may come in contact with horses.

Symptoms

• A horse that has contracted the rhino virus will likely show signs of the disease within one to three days. Symptoms include a loss of appetite, fever, nasal discharge, cough and signs of depression. The horse may also display signs of neurological effects such as uncoordinated movement, weakness and incontinence.

Treatment

• Unfortunately, there is no real treatment for this virus. Antiviral medications can be used, but are not always effective. However, horses can be treated for the side effects; your veterinarian may recommend IV fluids and anti-inflammatory drugs. Do your best to keep the horse calm and comfortable, and minimize the animal's stress to help it heal. Not all horses will recover from the virus; if your horse loses his ability to stand, it is much less likely to survive.

Precautions

• A vaccination is available for the rhino virus, but it is not always effective. Horses that contract the virus should be quarantined and surface disinfectants should be used to help prevent the spread of the virus; talk to your veterinarian for other ways to keep this disease from infecting your stable or spreading to other horses.