Status of equine viral arteritis in Kentucky, 1985
Timoney, P.J.; McCollum, W.H.; Roberts, A.W.; McDonald, M.J.
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 191(1): 36-39
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0003-1488 PMID: 3038806 Document Number: 293567
Clinical cases of equine arteritis virus infection have not been diagnosed in Kentucky since 1984, and there has been no indication that any of the horses involved in the 1984 epidemic have since been responsible for spread of the disease to horses in other states or countries. Cases of abortion caused by naturally acquired infection have not been confirmed in 1984 and 1985. Neither field nor vaccine strains of equine arteritis virus have been shown to induce teratological abnormalities or the carrier state in foals born to infected or vaccinated mares. The carrier stallion appears to have played a major epidemiological role in the dissemination and perpetuation of the virus. A commercial modified live equine viral arteritis vaccine was found to be safe and efficacious for stallions and mares. The disease can be controlled by immunizing the stallion population and by restricting the breeding of equine arteritis virus-shedding stallions to vaccinated or seropositive mares, followed by an appropriate period of isolation from unvaccinated horses.