Two
barns remained under quarantine Jan. 4 at Beulah Park in Ohio as state
veterinary officials continue to investigate possible equine
herpesvirus.
Ohio State Racing Commission executive director Tom Fries Jr. said
the state Department of Agriculture got a “presumptive positive” Dec. 31
from a horse stabled in Barn 24, which had been quarantined. Barn 25
was later quarantined as a precaution after a horse was purchased and
moved into the barn.
A horse from Barn 24 showed signs of equine herpesvirus, and the
prognosis isn’t good, Fries said. The disease can be transmitted in
equines through coughing and sneezing as well as through direct contact
with infected horses, feed, and equipment.
Fries said Barn 25 “could be low-risk,” and the quarantine could be
lifted Jan. 7-8. Still, no horses are permitted to leave Beulah Park
while the quarantine is in place, and the OSRC prefers that no horses be
brought onto the grounds of the Columbus-area track.