A horse participating in a horse show in Ocala, Florida, exhibited neurologic signs and tested positive for the Equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1), wild-type strain, on February 20, 2013.  Currently, the horse is in stable condition and continues to be treated at the University of Florida.

Some additional exposed horses have also tested positive for EHV-1, although they have not exhibited neurological signs. As a result, there are currently 12 premises under quarantine in Florida. The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) encourages Virginia horse owners to be mindful of the situation and to continue to observe strict biosecurity when traveling with their horses.

VDACS is monitoring the situation in Florida closely and has the following guidance:

• Horses from Florida are not permitted to travel to Virginia if they originate from a quarantined premises in Florida.
• Healthy horses from Florida not under quarantine are able to move from Florida to Virginia at this time on a valid Certificate of Veterinary Inspection or Equine Interstate Event Permit.
• Body temperatures must be recorded on the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection or Equine Interstate Event Permit before travel. Horses with elevated temperatures are not allowed to travel to Virginia.
• Biosecurity is extremely important in reducing the transmission of this disease.  This includes isolation of new positive horses.
• Horse owners and veterinarians may want to bookmark the Florida Department of Agriculture’s website for updates: freshfromflorida.com/ai/pdf/EHVWebsiteUpdate.pdf.

VDACS will post updates on the situation as needed on its website, vdacs.virginia.gov/animals/ehv.shtml; its Facebook page, facebook.com/VaAgriculture; and on Twitter, twitter.com/vaagriculture/.

Please see the PDF File below for a detailed agenda and seminar registration:

2013 VHC & ELCR Seminar Agenda & Registration

We welcome vendors to set-up at the Annual Meeting & Educational Seminar! If interested, please click here for our vendor contract!

Click here for our promotional brochure! Please feel free to distrubte this brochure to any interested persons. We look forward to seeing you there!

If you have any questions, please contact the VHC Office at 888-HORSEVA (888-467-7382) or email info@virginiahorsecouncil.org

Fort Pocahontas Trail Ride

The Fort Pocahontas Trail Ride will take place at Wilson’s Wharf along the James River. Fort Pocahontas was a defensive earthen fort built and manned by United States Colored Troops under the command of Brig. Generals Edward A. Wild and Benjamin Butler. On May 24,1864, the fort was attacked by Confederate Cavalry led by Maj. General Fitzhugh Lee. The action resulted in a decisive victory for the USCT who were outmanned by the much larger attacking force.

Harrison Ruffin Tyler, the grandson of President Tyler, bought Ft. Pocahontas in 1996. He is also the owner of Sherwood Forest. Ft. Pocahontas is listed as one of the best preserved fort sites in the US. It was virtually untouched for 130 years until it was purchased in 1996. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.

You will have a chance to ride by the stage props used in the movie TO HAVE AND TO HOLD. This includes a fort built for the movie. Also, the movie THE NEW WORLD was filed mere. If you have seen the movie, you may recognize some of the area.

Bald eagles nest along the river banks of the James River. Keep an eye in the sky for a sighting. A walking tour of the fort includes the earthen bastions, breastworks, gun ramps, and the Binford House (circa 1740), which was moved to this location from Southampton County in 2000. The house contains a museum of artifacts uncovered during archeological studies. Panoramic views of the James River are provided both from the high bluff and the river landing. Check out the web site www.fortpocahontas.org for more information.

Next door on the property is Sherwood Forest Plantation. This plantation was the home of the 10th President, John Tyler, and has been in the family ever since. President Tyler purchased the house in 1842 and lived there until his death in 1862. The house is known as the longest frame house in the US, being over 300 feet long. Sherwood Forest Plantation is famous for its trees – not only for the bewildering variety, but also for their historical significance. For instance, the oldest Ginko tree in the US. Walking tours of the grounds are available for an additional fee. For more information, visit www.sherwoodforest.org.

According to Dr. Richard Wilkes, State Veterinarian with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), Virginia horse owners have a new opportunity to travel with their horses throughout the southeastern United States for six months using the new Equine Interstate Event Permit (EIEP). Effective immediately, horse owners may elect to obtain the six-month passport in lieu of a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection that is only good for 30 days.

“Horse owners have asked for this interstate event permit option for some time,” said Dr. Wilkes, “but we had to ensure that we could provide the convenience of a six-month passport while continuing to protect Virginia’s equine industry from disease. We have developed the database and record-keeping system and have a Memorandum of Agreement with 14 states that allow us to move forward with issuing the permit.”

Participating states include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. The state of New York just recently announced that it will also accept the six-month permit.

Horse owners may apply to obtain an Equine Interstate Event Permit from their accredited veterinarian. For each horse permitted, the owner must fill out and sign an application, present a Virginia origin Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) or health paper/certificate, have a valid negative Coggins test, and be able to document microchip identification or provide three view digital photos of the animal. Owners also will need to demonstrate their ability to perform an abbreviated physical exam that includes taking each horse’s temperature. They will need to record that information on the horse’s travel itinerary with each interstate movement.

For more information about the Virginia equine passport application process, horse owners or veterinarians should contact VDACS’ Office of Veterinary Services at 804.786.2483. Horse owners and veterinarians may find additional information on the VDACS website at vdacs.virginia.gov/animals/eiep.shtml.

FIRST HORSE IN 2012 TESTS POSITIVE FOR WEST NILE VIRUS
~ Horse had not been vaccinated for disease ~

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) today announced 2012’s first positive case of West Nile Virus (WNV) in a horse. The horse, a nine-year-old Morgan gelding, was from Loudoun County. It had not been vaccinated for WNV for at least three years. The onset of symptoms was September 11. The horse was euthanized and necropsied at VDACS’s animal health laboratory in Warrenton on September 13.

Dr. Joe Garvin, head of VDACS’ Office of Laboratory Services, urges horse owners to check with their veterinarians about vaccinating their animals for WNV. “WNV is a mosquito-borne disease,” he said, “and we generally start seeing our first cases in August and September. The disease is preventable by vaccination, as is Eastern Equine Encephalitis, so many veterinarians recommend vaccination at least yearly, and in mosquito-prone areas, every six months.” He adds that mosquito season in Virginia can run through November.

The WNV vaccine for equines initially requires two doses administered three to six weeks apart. The vaccine takes four to six weeks from the second dose for optimal effectiveness. Horse owners should consult with their veterinarians to choose a re-vaccination schedule to protect their horses effectively. Prevention methods besides vaccination include destroying standing water breeding sites for mosquitoes, use of insect repellents and removing animals from mosquito-infested areas during peak biting times, usually dusk to dawn.

Mosquitoes can transmit the virus from bird to bird. Occasionally a mosquito that has bitten an infected bird will then bite a human, horse or other mammal and transmit the virus to them. Transmission between horses and humans is extremely unlikely. Continuous, effective mosquito control can minimize the risk of exposure of both horses and humans to mosquito-borne diseases.

Currently, no drugs exist to treat WNV specifically in horses or humans. The mortality rate in equines is about 30 percent. Treatment for an infected horse consists of supportive therapy to prevent the animal from injuring itself throughout the two to three weeks of the disease. A veterinarian can prescribe treatment tailored to the particular case.

Animal owners should consult their veterinarians if an animal exhibits any neurological symptoms such as a stumbling gait, going down, facial paralysis, drooping or disinterest in their surroundings. Currently, there are live-animal tests for WNV in horses and chickens, but none for other animals, although testing can be done on any dead animal. Animal owners should consult their veterinarians or the nearest VDACS Regional Animal Health Laboratory for advice or information should an animal exhibit symptoms of WNV. The location and phone number of each lab is available at vdacs.virginia.gov/about/directory-ais.shtml.

The following websites provide more information on WNV and how to protect humans and horses:
Horses:
vdacs.virginia.gov/animals/wnv.html
www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/nahss/equine/wnv/

Humans:
vdh.virginia.gov/epidemiology/DEE/Vectorborne/factsheets/westnilevirus.htm