EHV‐1 neurological outbreak during a show‐jumping competition: a clinical and epidemiological study

Abstract

Background: Equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) is an important threat to the equine industry, as illustrated by the ongoing outbreak of neurological disease that was initially reported during a large equestrian event in Valencia, Spain in 2021. Horses returning from this event to their training yards have contributed to the spread of the virus to nine other European countries and to Qatar.Objectives: To design a "tracking" marker in order to specifically follow the dissemination of the Valencia strain, in EHV-1 infected horses with no known epidemiological link with the Valencia outbreak.