A second horse domiciled in barn 14 on the Fair Grounds backstretch and returned a positive test for Equine Herpesvirus (EHV-1). The horse, trained by Jeff Thornbury, is the second to test positive in barn 14, which has been under a mandated quarantine by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture. The affected horse has been removed from the general horse population, has been isolated and will have no interaction with the rest of the backstretch.
The mandated 14-day quarantine, which was instituted Dec. 26, has been reset and begins anew effective Saturday. All horse remaining in barn 14 will be monitored and if no horses test positive for the virus and are not symptomatic, the quarantine may be lifted at the discretion of the state department of agriculture. EHV-1 can be accompanied by neurological symptoms and is a potentially fatal disease for equines.
The quarantine will not have any impact on horses shipping in, provided they arrive with proper vaccination documentation.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
