Calder Race Course and Tampa Bay Downs announced plans Tuesday to
restrict access to their barn areas, implementing precautionary measures
to help prevent an outbreak of Equine Herpesvirus Type 1
(EHV-1) at the Florida tracks.
“Two barns at Calder Race Course have been placed under restrictions in
response to presumed Equine Herpes Virus Type 1 (EHV-1) exposure,” Calder Track
Veterinarian Dr. Mary Scollay said. “Currently, there are no cases of EHV-1 at
Calder Race Course. However, a horse that had been hospitalized in Wellington
(Florida) and returned to Calder for five days then shipped to Ocala has been
confirmed to be infected with EHV-1.”
In addition to preexisting requirements to enter the grounds, the following
safety measures are being implemented at both tracks:
Calder or Tampa for a period of seven days.
farms will be housed in dedicated receiving barns.
taken twice daily with any temperatures of 102 or higher reported to the
Track Veterinarians. Any horse with fever will be removed to an isolation
barn pending results of testing.
Horses house in the restricted barns at Calder will be allowed access to the
training track after the conclusion of regularly scheduled training hours.
EHV-1 first broke out in Wellington last week at the local show grounds. The
index or first case reported was a horse imported from Europe through the USDA
New York Animal Import Center. Since then, three deaths and 15 clinical cases
have so far been attributed to the disease. In response to the outbreak the
Florida State Veterinarian has set up two quarantine areas in Wellington and
four additional locations have movement restrictions in place.