An outbreak of a potentially fatal infectious virus at Los Alamitos Race Course has led to the euthanization of seven quarter horses, according to state officials. The California Horse Racing Board was notified of the first case of equine infectious anemia on September 24th, leading to biosecurity measures being put in place and nine additional horses placed in quarantine. Subsequent testing identified six more horses with the virus, all of which were euthanized. The horses belonged to the same trainer, Heath Taylor.
Equine infectious anemia is a virus similar to HIV and has no cure, with infected horses becoming lifelong carriers. Due to the infectious nature of the virus, infected horses must be euthanized or quarantined away from other horses for the rest of their lives. The California Department of Food and Agriculture is working to trace the origin of the virus, believing it was likely transmitted during a medical treatment prior to the first horse arriving in California.
This is not the first outbreak of equine infectious anemia in Southern California, with previous outbreaks resulting in euthanizations and quarantines. The CDFA is monitoring the situation at Los Alamitos and continuing their investigation. Officials are urging horse owners and trainers to take precautions to prevent the spread of the virus and protect the health of their animals.
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