Two weeks ago, this blog reported the closure of the Equine Hospital at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, New York after a foal died and later tested positive for Equine Herpes Virus. A gelding at the hospital also became ill.
Cornell voluntarily closed its hospital doors on March 30 and worked with animal health authorities from the State of New York to initiate the proper biosecurity procedures.
Today I learned that the Equine Hospital re-opened yesterday afternoon.
“The quarantine on Cornell’s Equine hospital barns and several other barns owned by the college was lifted yesterday afternoon after the results of twice-daily temperature-taking and testing by nasal swabs during the quarantine did not reveal any EHV-1,” wrote Stephanie Specchio, Director of Communications at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in an email this afternoon. “The Equine Hospital is now operating under normal status.”
Although the Hospital and its barn are now open, the Equine Research Park and the Annex remain quarantined through April 19; a different quarantine schedule was established for those locations.
The following additional information has been posted on the vet school’s web site:
“Presently, there are no horses exhibiting symptoms of EHV-1. While we believe there is a low risk of exposure, we are taking every precaution to ensure the health and well-being of all animals.
“The quarantine was lifted from the equine hospital barns and some additional college-owned barns on April 12, after temperatures (taken twice daily) and additional tests conducted on all horses indicated that?EHV-1 is not present.”
