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Infection with the equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) can have devastating effects on both domestic and wild horses. While close contact between horses, including sharing of feed buckets or tack, has been touted as a common route of transmission, researchers believe water also serves as a potential means of viral spread between horses.

The EHV-1 virus persists in the environment for approximately seven days, but recent research shows that the virus can actually survive in water for up to three weeks if afforded the right conditions. Therefore, dirty water buckets or natural water sources shared by groups of horses can foster the virus for far longer than once thought, potentially causing infection.

This discovery was made after researchers essentially “incubated” EHV-1 in water samples with different pH levels, salinity, temperature, and turbidity (the amount of sediment in the water). A slightly alkaline (basic) pH and increased amount of sediment in the water allowed EHV-1 to persist and remain infective to horses for up to three weeks. The researchers suggested that sediment in the water physically stabilized the virus, prolonging longevity and infectivity for far longer than the suspected seven-day lifespan previously reported.

“Signs of EHV-1 include upper respiratory tract infection, abortion and abortion storms, as well as neurological deficits, such as the inability to rise, incoordination, and urine-dribbling,” summarized Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., a Kentucky Equine Research (KER) nutritionist.

Ensuring water buckets are cleaned thoroughly after each use and not shared between individuals, as well as using appropriate biosecurity protocols both on and off the farm will help protect horses against infection.

“Cleaning a natural water supply shared by many horses is likely an unattainable goal. Consider supplementation with marine-source omega-3 fatty acids, such as EO-3, to help boost the horse’s immune system,” Crandell suggested.

*Dayaram, A., M. Franz, A. Schattschneider, et al. 2017. Long term stability and infectivity of herpesviruses in water. Scientific Reports. 7:46559.

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