Weekly Disease Roundup: December 20-26, 2025

As 2025 draws to a close, equine disease activity remains elevated, particularly for EHV-1 Neurologic (EHM). This week saw 8 new disease alerts across 6 states, with neurological herpesvirus cases accounting for the majority of reports.

This Week at a Glance

|--------|-----------|-----------|--------|

| Total Alerts | 8 | 11 | -27% |

| States Affected | 6 | - | - |

| EHV-1 Neurologic Cases | 5 | - | - |

EHV-1 Neurologic: The Dominant Concern

Five of this week's eight alerts (62%) involved Equine Herpesvirus-1 Neurologic (EHM), the most serious form of equine herpesvirus. This neurological variant can cause devastating symptoms including:

Hind limb weakness or paralysis
Loss of bladder and tail tone
Incoordination (ataxia)
Recumbency in severe cases

States Reporting EHM This Week:

New Mexico (2 cases): Eddy County and Dona Ana County both reported new cases on December 24. Both facilities are under official quarantine with a combined 3 confirmed cases.

Florida: Palm Beach County reported a case on December 23, now under official quarantine.

Colorado: Larimer County confirmed a case on December 23, under official quarantine.

Louisiana: East Baton Rouge Parish reported 3 confirmed cases on December 22, the highest single-location count this week.

All EHM cases are currently under official quarantine, reflecting the serious nature of this disease.

Strangles Activity

Two strangles cases were reported this week:

Washington (Stevens County): A new case reported December 22, under voluntary quarantine.
Wisconsin (Waupaca County): A case reported December 20, also under voluntary quarantine.

Strangles remains one of the most common equine infectious diseases, spreading easily through direct contact and shared equipment.

Resolved Case: Good News from Washington

Washington's Spokane County reported a resolved EHV-1 (non-neurological) case on December 22. This is a positive reminder that with proper quarantine and veterinary care, horses can recover from herpesvirus infections.

Geographic Spread

This week's alerts came from coast to coast:

| State | Alerts | Primary Disease |

|-------|--------|-----------------|

| New Mexico | 2 | EHV-1 Neurologic |

| Washington | 2 | EHV-1, Strangles |

| Colorado | 1 | EHV-1 Neurologic |

| Florida | 1 | EHV-1 Neurologic |

| Louisiana | 1 | EHV-1 Neurologic |

| Wisconsin | 1 | Strangles |

Holiday Travel Advisory

With many horses traveling for holiday events and year-end shows, we remind horse owners to:

Check destination states for disease activity before traveling
Isolate returning horses for 14-21 days when possible
Monitor temperatures daily - fever is often the first sign of EHV-1
Avoid nose-to-nose contact at events and rest stops
Don't share water buckets or equipment with unfamiliar horses

What to Watch Next Week

As we head into 2026, we'll be watching:

Whether the New Mexico EHM cases expand or remain contained
Post-holiday disease reports as horses return from travel
Continuation of the current EHV-1 activity pattern

Looking at the Bigger Picture

Despite holiday slowdowns in reporting, this week's 8 alerts represents continued disease activity. The 3-week trend shows:

2 weeks ago: 5 alerts
Last week: 11 alerts
This week: 8 alerts

The elevated EHV-1 Neurologic activity we've seen in late 2025 warrants continued vigilance from horse owners nationwide.

--- View the interactive outbreak map or check your state's disease activity for the latest updates. Data sourced from the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC).