Equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) in Camelids in Alpacas

Urgent — contact your vet today

Early treatment makes a big difference. Don't wait more than a day.

A horse virus that can spread to camelids and cause blindness and neurological signs.

Category: Infectious diseases
Urgency: Urgent

Signs & symptoms

Sudden blindness
Head tilt, incoordination
Abortion

Related symptom guides: Head Tilt or Circling, Star-gazing or Blindness.

What causes it?

EHV-1 from horses (direct contact, shared facilities).

Risk factors

Housing alpacas with or next to horses during outbreaks

How vets diagnose it

PCR testing and clinical history.

Treatment

Supportive vet care.

Do not wait to see if it improves. Camelids hide illness, and by the time signs are obvious the problem is often advanced. Call your veterinarian.

Prevention

Keep separate from horses during EHV-1 outbreaks
Do not share equipment with horse barns with active cases

Background

Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) is a virus of the family Orthoherpesviridae that causes abortion, respiratory disease and occasionally neonatal mortality in horses. Initial spread of EHV-1 by a newly introduced horse through direct and indirect contact can lead to abortion and perinatal infection in up to 70 percent of a previously unexposed herd. Abortion usually occurs in the last four months of gestation, two to four weeks after infection of the mare. Perinatal infection can lead to pneumonia and death. Encephalitis can occur in affected animals, leading to ataxia, paralysis, and death. The virus varies in severity from sub-clinical to very severe. Most horses have been infected with EHV-1, but the virus can become latent and persist without ever causing signs of infection. In 2006, an outbreak of EHV-1 among stables in Florida resulted in the institution of quarantine measures. The outbreak was determined to have originated in horses imported from Europe via New York, before being shipped to Florida.From Wikipedia — “Equine herpesvirus 1”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Research & references

PubMed lists 5,889 peer-reviewed papers on this topic in camelids. The most relevant include:

Camelid cardiology. Margiocco ML, Scansen BA, Bonagura JD The Veterinary clinics of North America. Food animal practice, 2009. PubMed 19460649 · DOI · cited 20×
Llama dermatology. Rosychuk RA The Veterinary clinics of North America. Food animal practice, 1989. PubMed 2647233 · DOI · cited 12×
Camelid wellness. Bennett MM, Richards NL The veterinary clinics of North America. Exotic animal practice, 2015. PubMed 25902272 · DOI · cited 3×
Hematology of camelids. Vap L, Bohn AA The veterinary clinics of North America. Exotic animal practice, 2015. PubMed 25421025 · DOI · cited 15×
Llama DNA Immunization and Isolation of Functional Single-Domain Antibody Binders. Trempe F, Rossotti MA, Maqbool T et al. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.), 2022. PubMed 35157268 · DOI · cited 7×
Update. Llama nutrition. Johnson LW The Veterinary clinics of North America. Food animal practice, 1994. PubMed 7953953 · DOI · cited 13×

Frequently asked questions

What is equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) in Camelids in alpacas?

A horse virus that can spread to camelids and cause blindness and neurological signs.

What are the signs of equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) in Camelids?

Sudden blindness, head tilt, incoordination and abortion.

How do you prevent equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) in Camelids?

Keep separate from horses during EHV-1 outbreaks. Do not share equipment with horse barns with active cases.

Is equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) in Camelids an emergency?

Urgent — contact your vet today. Early treatment makes a big difference. Don't wait more than a day.

This page is educational and does not replace advice from a veterinarian who has examined your animals. Camelid medicine uses many drugs “extra-label”, so dosing must come from your vet. In an emergency, call your vet first. Read our disclaimer · How we write and review content.