Allivet Horse Care

Equine herpesvirus type 1 and equine herpesvirus type 4 can each infect the respiratory tract, causing disease that usually characterized by fever, lethargy, anorexia, nasal discharge, and cough. Infection of the respiratory tract typically first occurs in foals in the first weeks or months of life, but recurrent or recrudescent clinically apparent infections are seen in weanlings, yearlings, and young horses entering training, especially when horses from different sources are commingled. 

Equine herpesvirus type 1 causes epidemic abortion in mares, the birth of weak nonviable foals, or a sporadic paralytic neurologic disease secondary to vasculitis of the spinal cord and brain. Both EHV-1 and EHV-4 spread via aerosolized secretions from infected coughing horses, by direct and indirect (fomite) contact with nasal secretions, and, in the case of EHV-1, contact with aborted fetuses, fetal fluids, and placentae associated with abortions. Like herpesviruses in other species, these viruses establish latent infection in the majority of horses, which do not show clinical signs but may experience reactivation of infection and shedding of the virus when stressed. Those epidemiologic factors seriously compromise efforts to control these diseases and explain why outbreaks of EHV-1 or EHV-4 can occur in closed populations of horses.

Tetanus Toxoid is used to prevent tetanus, it is a serious illness that causes seizures and severe muscle spasms that can be strong enough to cause bone fractures of the spine. Tetanus causes death in 30 to 40% of cases. Tetanus is a potentially life threatening disease because the bacteria attacks the neural system which can lead to muscle spasms resulting in broken bones or torn muscles. Furthermore, tetanus can lead to airway obstruction, respiratory arrest, heart failure, pneumonia, fractures, and brain damage. Vaccines help to reduce the risk of contracting tetanus which is why it is encouraged to receive the tetanus vaccine and booster shots.

Fluvac innovator 5 vaccine is used for healthy horses to prevent equine encephalomyelitis due to type 1 and 4 viruses, equine influenza due to type A2 viruses and tetanus.