Page 105 - June 2021

TREATMENT
There are currently no antiviral drugs available for treating ECoV. Most adult horses recover within a few days without specific treatment. Supportive treatment is recom- mended as needed and may include nonste- roidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as flunixin meglumine (banamine) or phenylbutazone (bute), fluids and electrolytes, and gastrointestinal protectants. Severe cases may require extensive treatment or hospital- ization, and possibly treatment for secondary infections. The prognosis for horses diagnosed with ECoV is generally good. Most horses make a full recovery.
PREVENTION
There is no licensed vaccine for ECoV. The best way to protect horses from infection is with biosecurity protocols. This includes practicing good hygiene, minimizing nose-to-nose contact between horses, cleaning stalls properly and dis- posal of manure, monitoring horses for illness, and isolating sick horses. It is very important to enforce good biosecurity practices at any events that bring together groups of horses.
No definitive data exists on how long the virus might survive outside the host,
but ECoV likely has a short survival time in the environment depending on the ambient temperature and humidity, and the material surrounding the virus. Equine coronavirus is susceptible to many common disinfec- tants, and disinfection should be a key part of biosecurity strategies on any premise with multiple horses after one has been sick.
Disinfectants that are effective at inac- tivating equine coronavirus include sodium hypochlorite (bleach), povidone iodine, chlorhexidine gluconate, phenols, quarternary ammonium compounds and peroxygen com- pounds. Organic materials, such as feces, bed- ding, etc., will decrease the efficacy of many disinfectants. When cleaning surfaces that may be contaminated with feces, first remove all traces of organic matter, then disinfect.
Waste materials should not be disposed of near healthy horses. All surfaces should have organic debris (feces, soil, wood chips, etc.) removed prior to disinfection with sodium hypochlorite (bleach), povidone iodine, chlorhexidine gluconate, phenols, quarternary ammonium compounds, and peroxygen compounds.
Since recovered horses can continue shedding the virus in their feces for weeks beyond the resolution of clinical signs, a farm should take precautions by using foot- baths, individual thermometers, and dispos- able gloves between horses. Isolate affected animals in a separate barn or as far from the other horses as possible if they are in the same barn. Handle the sick ones last and use separate manure handling equipment. Minimize horse and human traffic into and out of the barn.
If you don’t have a separate barn for sick horses, move the ill horse to a stall farthest away from traffic in the aisle, with an empty stall between the ill horse and any others in the barn. If the horse is not too ill for turn- out, put the ill horse in a separate paddock
that does not share a fence with other pas- tures, or erect temporary fencing to cordon off a separate portion of the paddock using double fences spaced at least 10 feet apart to prevent direct contact.
Designate one person to care for the ill horse, avoiding all contact with healthy horses. If that’s not possible, the caretaker should finish all chores with healthy horses before tending the one in isolation. Wear pro- tective clothing to avoid spreading contami- nation. Designate one pair of boots, gloves and coveralls that are washed immediately after caring for the ill horse. You can also use disposable gowns, gloves and shoe covers like those worn by human health-care workers.
Use a separate set of buckets, halters, grooming brushes and stall-cleaning tools for the isolated horse. Footbaths or shallow trays with a beach solution can be placed outside the stall. Anyone going in or out of the stall should step in it to kill pathogens on their boots. Wash hands or use a skin sanitizer after handling each horse, sick or not. Since pathogens can travel on tractor and wheelbarrow tires, they may need to be scrubbed with a bleach solution after each trip through the barn. During an outbreak of coronavirus, these measures should be kept up for at least two, preferably three, weeks after the last ill horse recovers.
Due to intermittent virus shedding in feces and unknown duration of shedding, it is difficult to make recommendations on testing after infection with the virus. It is advisable to quarantine or isolate any new arrivals for 21 days.
EQUINE HEALTH
There is no licensed vaccine for ECoV.
The best way to protect horses from infection
is with biosecurity protocols. This includes practicing good hygiene, minimizing nose-to-nose contact between horses, cleaning stalls properly and disposal of manure, monitoring horses
for illness, and isolating sick horses.
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