A team of researchers at Louisiana State University (LSU) In Baton Rouge is investigating equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1), following a 2025 outbreak of the disease in the US. The goal is to determine where in the body the virus resides during latency.1
EHV-1 largely causes respiratory signs, but the virus can also cause neurologic disease and abortion in pregnant mares, according to LSU. Although a vaccine for the respiratory version of EHV-1 currently exists, the research at LSU could help the development of a vaccine for the neurologic version of the virus, known as equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM).1,2
EHV-1 is spread through contact with infected nasal discharge and aerosol droplets between horses, as well as contaminated surfaces such as stalls, feed, tack, and vehicles. Humans can also indirectly transmit…