Sutherlin FFA

            Horse’s are capable of catching or having many disease. Two of them being Equine Herpes virus which has  two different types of also known asrhinopneumonitis, rhino, and viral abortion.  The other disease being Equine Encephalomyelitis, know as a sleeping disease.

            Equine Herpes virus   1 an EHV-4 compromise two genetically and antigenic distinct groups of virus’s that has been referred to as subtypes 1 and 2.  Each creates a acute febrile respiratory disease.  An infrequent clinical sequel of EHV-1 infection which is caused directly by certain strains of EHV-1 is development of neurologic disease. Immunity after natural infection with EHV- 1 or EHV-4 appears to involve a combination of both humoral and cellular immune factors. Most horses are lately infected with EHV-1 and EHV-4. Immunity to re infection of repertory tract may persist for up to three months.

            Equine Encephalomyelitis is an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord.  This disease not only effects horses, but is also deadly to humans. The virus was isolated, characterized, vaccines were produced in the 1930’s. The two forms are currently active in United States are Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis (EEE) and Western Equine Encephalomyelitis (WEE). The viruses that are responsible for causing these diseases are members of family of viruses called alpha virus.