equine coronavirus & Biosecurity

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What is equine coronavirus (ECoV)?

The ECoV is a species-­specific member of the coronavirus family, once a horse ingests ECoV, the virus appears to travel to the small intestine, where it attaches to specific receptors on intestinal cells.From there, the virus particle fuses with the host’s cell and replicates. Loss of epithelial cells results in malabsorption and maldigestion of nutrients and acute diarrhea.

Transmission

Coronavirus is spread when feces from an infected horse is ingested by another horse (fecal-oral transmission). The virus can also be transmitted when horses make oral contact with surfaces or objects that are contaminated with infected feces. Stalls, muck forks, manure spreaders, thermometers, hands, and clothing are common fomites (objects or materials that carry infection). Coronavirus is most commonly diagnosed in the winter months.
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The incubation period is 2-4 days and infected horses can shed ECoV up to 14 days.

Diagnosis

​Diagnosis is made by a veterinarian submitting samples for PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests of a fecal sample.

Prognosis & Treatment

​Horses that do develop clinical signs most often respond to basic supportive care, usually involving fluids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as phenylbutazone or flunixin meglumine. It’s uncommon for horses to die from the disease.

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General Biosecurity Tips

Any horse with a fever and no evidence of respiratory illness may have ECoV and feces may be infected. 

• Reduce movement of all horses onto, off, and within the property until all affected horses have cleared their testing protocols.
• Keep affected horses in isolation stalls. If isolation is not an option, minimize nose to nose contact as much as possible and keep horses in their stalls/paddocks to reduce environmental contamination.
• Handle affected horses last. This includes grooming, mucking, and petting. 
• Clean the stalls/paddocks of affected horses LAST with separate pitchforks.
• Do not allow affected horses to share items as they may transmit the disease. This includes water troughs, feed buckets, tack, halters and lead ropes, blankets and pads, and grooming supplies, etc.
• Use caution when handling the affected horses every time. Cover your face, wear gloves, and wash hands thoroughly using a disinfectant after contact.
• In certain situations, a foot bath may be recommended. Use 1:10 bleach dilution for a foot bath and a separate pair of muck boots for each sick horse. Alternatively, you could use a separate pair of disposable plastic boots for each sick horse.
• Dispose of manure where it cannot contaminate pastures, paddocks or drinking water.
• Here is a list of disinfectants that are effective at inactivating equine coronavirus include. When cleaning surfaces that may be contaminated with feces, clean the surface first to remove all traces of organic matter, then disinfect.​

• sodium hypochlorite (bleach)
• povidone iodine
• chlorhexidine gluconate​

• phenols
• quarternary ammonium compound
• peroxygen compounds

 3% chlorine bleach solution formula: Add 3 gallons of bleach to 2 gallons of water, mix thoroughly.

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Please feel free to contact the Starwood Equine office with any questions or concerns
(650) 275-3091 | INFO@STARWOODEQUINE.COM

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References

Fielding C.L. et al. 2015. Disease associated with equine coronavirus infection and high case fatality rate. J Vet Intern Med. Vol 29. Pp 307-310.
Giannitti F. et al. 2015. Necrotizing enteritis and hyperammonemic encephalopathy associated with equine coronavirus infection in equids. Veterinary Pathology. Vol 52(6). Pp1148-1156.
Goodrich E. L. et al. 2018. Novel findings from a beta coronavirus outbreak on an American Miniature Horse breeding farm in upstate New York. Equine Veterinary Journal. Vol 12938. Pp 1-5.
Kooijman L.J. et al. 2017. Seroprevalence and risk factors for infection with equine coronavirus in healthy horses in the USA. The Veterinary Journal. Vol 220. Pp 91-94. Pusterla N et al. 2018. Enteric Coronavirus infection in adult horses. The Veterinary Journal. Vol 231. Pp 13-18.
Pusterla N et al. 2015. Prevalence of equine coronavirus in nasal secretions from horses with fever and upper respiratory tract infection. Veterinary Record. Sept 19.