Equine hospital at UT Veterinary Medical Center under quarantine for EHV-1

Knoxville, Tenn.

— The Equine Hospital at the University of Tennessee (UT) Veterinary Medical Center was placed under a 7-day quarantine Sept. 16 by the Tennessee State Veterinarian following a confirmed case of equine herpesvirus (EHV-1).

A down horse was brought into the Equine Hospital Sept. 15 at around 2 p.m. and deteriorated quickly, according to university officials. The horse was euthanized that evening, and tests confirmed that the horse had the neurotropic form of EHV-1 the following day, says Dr. Dennis Geiser, interim head of large animal clinical sciences for the Veterinary Medical Center and assistant dean of the UT College of Veterinary Medicine.

To be extra cautious, the university extended the state veterinarian’s quarantine by another seven days—until Sept. 30, Geiser adds. Movement to and from the Equine Hospital is restricted, and appointments have been relocated to an off-site facility, according to the university.

There are no active cases of EHV-1 at the Equine Hospital, and Geiser says the farm of the infected horse's owner also is under quarantine. The farm houses a “fairly closed herd,” Geiser says, adding there was “little, if any, activity of moving horses prior to diagnosing this problem.”

Questions about the quarantine or off-site equine care at UT may be directed to the veterinary school at (865) 974-8387.