Fair Grounds' equine herpes quarantine expanded
NEW ORLEANS (AP) New Orleans Fair Grounds says it has expanded an equine herpes quarantine to all barns along the race course's backstretch and stopped permitting horses to ship in or out.
Racing remains on schedule, but the quarantine affects which horses race and when they can train.
The quarantine began in a barn where two horses tested positive last week. By Sunday, a third horse in a different barn tested positive.
Officials say two more horses' temperatures spiked Monday, and the Louisiana Department of Agriculture expanded the quarantine as a precaution.
The virus, called EHV-1, is latent in many horses, but symptoms can emerge periodically, at which point it becomes contagious. Symptoms include fever, nasal secretions, poor balance, anorexia and aborted pregnancies.
