EHV-1 in Swedish and Norwegian horses

Background

Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) can cause fever and cold, and sudden abortion in pregnant mares. There is also a neurological form of the disease with paralysis and death.

EHV-1 is a serious threat to the health and welfare of horses, and to the entire horse industry. The virus causes disease, suffering and economic losses After infection with the herpes virus, the virus can remain latent in the horse's body and be reactivated later in life.

There is insufficient knowledge about the prevalence of infection in apparently healthy Swedish and Norwegian horses, which makes risk assessment and prevention of disease outbreaks difficult.

Project overview

The project will map the prevalence of and risk factors for EHV-1, as well as the virus strains circulating in Sweden and Norway. Sampling of healthy horses in different categories, together with the collection of background data, will form the basis for risk assessment and mapping of the spread of infection.

In 2025, 500 horses in Sweden and Norway will be tested with a blood sample and a nasal swab to see if they have antibodies against the virus in the blood and/or the virus in the nose. We therefore want to engage veterinarians across the country to help with the sampling, and encourage horse owners who are asked by their veterinarian to take a sample to accept this. A small number of recently imported horses, as well as horses participating in multi-day events, will also be sampled. The horse owner will be asked to complete a simple questionnaire about the horse, via their mobile phone or on a piece of paper, in addition to giving consent for the veterinarian to test the horse.