On Nov. 4, a 17-year-old draft-cross gelding in Stafford County, Virginia, tested positive for equine parvovirus after elevated liver values were discovered during routine blood work. The gelding exhibited no clinical signs of liver disease, and his liver ultrasound was normal. He was treated with milk thistle and is currently recovering, although his liver values remain outside reference intervals. 

EDCC Health Watch is an Equine Network marketing program that utilizes information from the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) to create and disseminate verified equine disease reports. The EDCC is an independent nonprofit organization that is supported by industry donations in order to provide open access to infectious disease information.

About Equine Parvovirus

Equine parvovirus (EqPV) is associated with acute hepatitis, a sudden form of liver inflammation that can frequently present with severe clinical signs. This virus has been linked to Theiler’s Disease, a condition that can cause rapid liver failure in horses. 

Approximately one-third of horses have been exposed to EqPV. These infections often go unnoticed and do not cause clinical signs, but a small percentage of cases can result in severe, potentially life-threatening liver disease, sometimes affecting several horses simultaneously as an outbreak. 

Horses clinically affected by hepatitis viruses will have increased liver enzymes and abnormal liver function tests. PCR testing for EqPV can be performed on liver biopsies, serum, plasma, or EDTA whole blood at Cornell’s Animal Diagnostic Center.