Horse, Llama and Alpaca Health Warning

[welsummerchicks]

Western states(and no doubt other states soon), EVH1 problems are spreading quicky. Many are opting to stay home, not ship/buy/sell during this time.

http://www.npr.org/2011/05/24/136508001/horse-killing-virus-brings-fear-to-western-u-s

 

[petchickenlover]

I can't wait for them to come up with a vaccine! I was planning on taking my mare to some shows, but so much for that.

 

[scbatz33]

Maybe I'm a moron, but I vaccinate routinely for evh1 and 4 - why wouldn't you do that?

 

[petchickenlover]

Quote:
It's mutated i think. The vaccine doesn't work on it, i guess.

 

[scbatz33]

From the USDA site:

"EHV-1 myeloencephalopathy (EHM) results from widespread vascular or blood vessel injury after damage to the lining of the blood vessels of the blood brain barrier. Neurologic signs result from inflammation of the blood vessles, blood clots, and death of neurologic tissue. Equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM) cases occur singly or can affect multiple exposed horses. They may or may not be associated with a previous or ongoing EHV-1 respiratory disease outbreak."


Is there any value to using booster vaccination against EHV-1 at this time?
Unfortunately, none of the current EHV-1 vaccines carry a label claim for prevention of EHM. More research is needed to identify a vaccine that may prevent this form of the disease. Some of the EHV-1 vaccines have been shown to reduce nasal shedding and in some cases reduce viremia. These products may therefore have some theoretical value against EHM (by reducing viremia), and certainly against spread of the virus. For more information regarding these vaccines, consult with your equine veterinarian.
If horses on the farm are previously vaccinated against EHV-1, the booster vaccination should quickly increase immunity, and perhaps reduce spread of EHV-1 if it is present. Vaccination in these circumstances is controversial. The use of vaccination is therefore a risk-based decision.


Seems to me they are saying the EHM isn't necessarily always connected to EHV-1. So there isn't a vaccine to prevent the EHM but by vaccinating for EHV-1 you can reduce the chances of EHM.

And based on this report, both have been detected and confirmed.

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/nahss/equine/ehv/ehv_2010_sitrep_051911.pdf

It would be very interesting to find out how many of those horses were actually vaccinated prior to the event. I bet very few.

I have noticed people don't do due diligence on vaccinating horses. Just because you have a clear coggins doesn't mean your horse is healthy.

Horses should be vaccinated for bot, tet, strep, eee/wee/vee, rabies, flu, west nile, rhino(ie evh-1 & 4) and on the east coast potomac.

Sure it's not cheap, but if you are transporting your horse to events, they should be covered fully. It's the only way to prevent spread of diseases.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Those vaccines aren't even all THAT reliable (or long-lasting) vs the respiratory versions of rhino... by no means are they very good preventatives against the neurological strains.

Pat

 

[welsummerchicks]

Um...well....vaccination does seem to help a good many OTHER horses not get sick, and my vet also says he feels it CAN reduce the severity of the neurological form. He says there isn't any wide or years long research study to point to to back that up, that is just his experience.

That's good enough for me. All my guys get the vaccine at the recommended interval. To me it's just not something I would risk going without.

That the vaccine isn't 'reliable' against the respirtory form, I've never seen it to be 'unreliable' - if someone says so and so's horse died despite getting the vaccine - I am sure that can happen, but I don't accept as gospel everything I hear.

Overall, the vaccine is not unreliable at all for the respiratory form. It's kept our horses healthy even when they were in a barn with a confirmed case. As far as not lasting a long time, there is a recommended interval to give it in - the length of time a vaccine lasts is particular to a specific disease.

That the neurological form is or isn't associated WITH THE VACCINE - NONE of the information I have even SUGGESTS the vaccine CAUSES the mutation. If people are afraid the vaccine will CAUSE the mutation, that is a complete and total misread of experience, information, etc.

That the vaccine reduces viremia, that is extremely important and very, very much worth taking into consideration when making the decision. ANYTHING one can do to reduce viremia in the SLIHTEST, has value.

 

[patandchickens]

Just to clarify - I was totally not suggesting people not vaccinate against rhino, only that you can't expect it to COMPLETELY prevent even the conventional respiratory versions, let alone the neurological ones.

Pat