Awakening the Dormant Dragon: Neurological Form of Equine Herpesvirus-1: A poetic name meets a pragmatic framework in this succinct and useful reference document prepared by faculty members at the Center for Equine Health and the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis. The document was launched on May 26, 2011 and made available on the Internet as a free download on May 27.

This information on the equine herpes virus outbreak was developed as part of an extensive outreach effort with veterinary practitioners in California and beyond.

The paper contains material on the background of equine herpes virus, diagnosis — including new Polymerase Chain Reaction (“PCR”) techniques, setting up isolation of sick animals, and vaccinations. The document also contains biosecurity procedures, travel guidelines, and more.

While the paper is technical in nature, it is directed to a broad group of professionals in the equine industry as well as interested horse owners.

I can vouch for this document: It is very cleanly laid out and it’s easy to find information within it. The specific recommendations on isolation will be helpful, particularly to horse show organizers.

Here’s the link to the page where you can download the document: UC Davis EHV White Paper Download Page Link.

There is no direct link to download the document, you have to find the link on this page of current news. It is amidst a set of links toward the bottom of the page and is prefaced by the word “new”. The document is in PDF format.