Equid Herpesvirus-Associated Myeloencephalopathy

Equid herpesvirus-associated myeloencephalopathy (EHM) is an infrequent but serious outcome of common equid herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) infection in horses. Basic information on the virus that is associated with EHM is deemed necessary as it aids our understanding of virus-specific strategy and virus-host interaction. Equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy is caused by a multifocal, stroke-like disease in the vasculature of the central nervous system (CNS), mainly in the spinal cord. Clinical signs typical of EHM are those attributed to spinal cord damage. A diagnosis of EHM is easy to establish when several horses are febrile, some of them with clinical signs of spinal cord disease. Many different therapeutic options such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), heparin, and low-dose aspirin are used empirically to prevent secondary complications at different stages of this disease despite a lack of evidence of efficacy. Equine herpesvirus myeloencephalitis outbreak prevention requires a stringent immunization protocol.