Equine Herpes Virus Types 1 / 4
Rhinopneumonitis Infection of Horses
  by Robert N. Oglesby DVM

The equine herpesviruses (EHV) is a large family of the alphaherpesviruses that infects all species of equines, including horses, asses, and zebras. Though nine distinct EHV's have been found only two are considered of economic significance in domesticated equines: Equine Herpes Virus type 1 and type 4 (EHV1/4). EHV-1 and EHV-4 are common worldwide causes of fever and respiratory infections in horses. EHV-1 respiratory infection is associated with the serious complications of abortion and myeloencephalitis.

Accurate diagnosis and differentiation from other respiratory diseases is important from a management, treatment, and prognosis standpoint. This article gives an overview of these two virus's, how horses become infected, clinical signs, diagnosis and prognosis of horses infected. Also discussed are proper quarantine and prevention of EHV 1/4 in horses. This article provides important back ground information to understanding equine herpes abortion (EHA) and equine herpes myeloencephalopathy (EHM) then provides links to specific articles on these diseases.

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