In response to the increasing danger of the spread of the Equine Herpes (EHV-1) virus, the Minnesota Racing Commission has instituted emergency measures to try and keep the virus out of the Minnesota horse population.
Currently Fonner Park in Nebraska is under lock down due to possible detection of the virus and there are reports of several barns quarantined with restricted access at Prairie Meadows in Iowa.
Here is the text of the emergency rule:
Every horse entering Canterbury Park must be accompanied by an original certificate of veterinary inspection issued within the preceding 72 hours
The certificate must document the following:
o The horse was examined by an accredited veterinarian on the date the certificate was issued
o The horse did not exhibit any clinical signs of disease and the horse’s temperature was normal
o The examining veterinarian verified with the horse’s owner or trainer that, to the best of the owner or trainer’s knowledge, the horse has not been exposed to any other horse with a contagious or infectious disease in the past 30 days
o Complete EIA test results (Coggins), including the date, laboratory, and accession number of the most recent EIA test
o That the horse has been vaccinated by an accredited veterinarian with an FDA approved modified live or killed vaccine specific for EHV-1 not less than 14 days and not more than 60 days prior to arrival at the licensed racetrack. The vaccination date, brand name, serial number and expiration date of vaccine must appear on the certificate.
No horse will be admitted to the grounds of Canterbury Park if it has, within the preceding 30 days, been in a county or province, or adjacent county or province, where any racetrack, training facility, or stable is under quarantine due to an infectious or communicable disease, including EHV-1.
Any horse arriving at Canterbury Park from a facility that has been released from quarantine within the previous 30 days must be held in an isolation area until the owner or trainer procures a nasal swab showing no presence of EHV-1
Notice will be e-mailed and posted on the MRC website when the health threat has subsided and this rule is no longer in effect.
