Equine coronavirus cancels spring horse shows in the Mid-South

 

    The West Tennessee Hunter Jumper Association canceled its weekend shows due to a recent rise in equine coronavirus across the Mid-South. The shows were originally scheduled for late March and early April in Germantown

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     “We were originally on the fence about it,” Ali Smith, one of the organizers of the ExEL horse shows, said. “But I think that sending the message of ‘it’s the horse first’ is really important.”

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     Equine coronavirus, or EC, isn’t the only virus that has affected how horse shows run. In 2023, the equine herpesvirus afflicted areas across the U.S., with outbreaks originating from horse shows.

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    “A couple of years ago, during the EHV outbreak, ‘A’ shows wanted you to keep a 10-day temperature log,” Smith said. “But [EC] lasts for 21 days.”

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    With such a long incubation period, it was in the show’s and horses’ best interests to cancel the early spring shows, she said. ExEL, however, has been rescheduled for April 25 to 27.

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    “Cases of EC are on the rise in this area over the last six weeks,” Dr. Mark Akin, an equine veterinarian, said. “The barns affected seem to be English barns, that’s why it’s so important to cancel the horse shows in April.”

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    Dr. Akin has been practicing equine veterinary medicine for 39 years. In his time, he has worked alongside Kentucky Derby runners and now operates his practice out of Collierville. His main focus is equine sports medicine, which primarily includes care for hunter and jumper sport horses.

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    Frequent traveling is required for riders active in the show circuit, however, horse shows are a breeding ground for virus outbreaks. Equine coronavirus has been around for many years and is not the same virus as the modern-day Covid-19 seen in humans.

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    “Genetically, EC appears to be a close relative to the bovine coronavirus,” Dr. Akin said. “The clinical signs seen in horses include high fever (101.5-106 degrees F), anorexia (going off feed), and lethargy.  Approximately 15%-20% of those horses will develop gastrointestinal symptoms, such as colic and diarrhea. A very small percent of those will develop shock, organ failure, and neurological impairment.”

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    The virus is not transmissible to other species, as most coronaviruses are just an umbrella term for “a family of viruses.” Despite it being unable to transmit to humans or dogs, it is still easily spread from humans to horses. EC is most commonly transmitted through contaminated feces and is highly contagious, making it easy to transmit at horse shows, especially.

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    “Historically, EC was only thought to occur in foals, but it has been increasing greatly in the adult horse population,” he said.

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     Fifteen years ago, Smith had her now-retired horse, Airie, shipped to an equine vet at Mississippi State for EC.

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    “I remember taking her down there and all of them were like ‘it's so weird, it's really presenting like coronavirus, but she's too old for it,’” Smith said. “Then they got the tests back and they were like, ‘huh, it’s coronavirus.’”

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    It was thought that horses would get EC as foals and then develop an immunity to the virus as they got older. Now, show horses coming back from the winter circuit in Florida are showing symptoms and undergoing quarantine.

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    “It is most commonly diagnosed in winter.  So, hopefully and expectedly, the number of cases should be on the decline as the weather gets warmer,” Dr. Akin said. “Coronaviruses hate heat.”

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    As there is no vaccine for EC, owners and caretakers of horses are urged to keep close eyes on their horses’ health and to properly care for afflicted horses.

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    “Owners need to practice good hygiene, minimize nose-to-nose contact between horses, clean stalls properly, monitor horses for illness, and isolate sick horses,” he said.

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    As of now, EC has not affected the status of the Memphis in May series in Germantown. The first week is set for May 1 to 4, and the second week is for May 7 to 11.