| We did over the weekend receive notification that a barn on Belmont Park was placed under quarantine after a horse in the barn tested positive for strangles.
Information shared by the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association stated Belmont’s Barn 28 was quarantined after a 2-year-old gelding was referred to an equine medical center this past Friday for evaluation following fevers of unknown origin. My understanding is serum samples collected and subsequently tested for a number of potential ailments, resulted in a positive test for strangles being reported.
I have been in contact with both NYRA veterinary officials as well as the New York State Veterinary official. Nasal samples were collected over the weekend and result of those samples are expected to be reported later this afternoon. Horses in Barn 28 are under 24 hour security watch, are required to be monitored for fevers multiple times daily and recorded on the individual horse’s temperature log.
Afebrile/asymptomatic horses stabled in Barn 28 will be allowed to exercise on the dirt track following the regular morning training hours that end at 10:30 a.m. As of this morning, no additional cases have been detected. Also, there is apparently no epidemiologic link (no known contact nor sharing of people or equipment) between the Saratoga and Belmont barns.
The biosecurity procedures and infectious disease management protocols previously implemented at Saratoga are being followed at Belmont.
Additionally, I did learn that Barn 85 at Saratoga was released from quarantine on Friday afternoon following assessment of the horses in that barn being completed with no abnormal findings. During the course of the Saratoga quarantine a number of horses in Barn 85 were sampled with no additional positive cases being discovered.
We remain confident (in) the precautions put in place and work done thus far by NYRA and Department of Agriculture. At this point-in-time, with the daily monitoring in place, we are satisfied that the precautions being taken are appropriate and beneficial and see no need to impose additional restrictions on our end. As before, I am asking that our Kentucky horsemen shipping to/from NYRA facilities be mindful of the current and previous quarantines and ensure their staff are aware of the disease events and take the needed biosecurity precautions.
We will continue to monitor the disease event, have open lines of communication with New York officials, and are prepared to implement additional disease-mitigating strategies if it becomes needed.
E.S. Rusty Ford
Rusty.ford@ky.gov
Equine Operations Consultant
Office State Veterinarian
KY Department Agriculture
502/782-5924 |
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