Recently we had a horse test positive for equine enteric coronavirus. This virus found in horses is NOT related to the current human coronavirus strain that has come out of China. This equine coronavirus has been around for decades and is not commonly found in horses and is rarely fatal. There is currently no vaccine for this virus. Most horses respond very well to supportive veterinary care. Clinical signs include a high fever, anorexia (off feed), lethargy, mild colicy signs, and loose stools to diarrhea. It is passed from horse to horse via fecal oral transmission (manure entering the mouth). This particular coronavirus found in horses has not been known to pass from horse to human but always practice good hygiene when dealing with your sick animals. If your horse develops any of the signs mentioned above please contact our office to discuss the next steps in caring for your horse.
DiseaseFactsheet_CoronavirusFINAL Cobranded
Veterinarian finds case of equine coronavirus in Queen Creek
Here is a useful link that describes the virus in more detail:
https://www.vet.cornell.edu/animal-health-diagnostic-center/veterinary-support/disease-information/equine-enteric-coronavirus