Update Jan. 30, 2018: The quarantine has been lifted.
Officials at the New York Racing Association and New York State Gaming Commission have received confirmation that one horse has tested positive for Equine Herpesvirus-1 in Barn 44 at Belmont Park.
The horse, an unnamed, unraced 3-year-old male, was sent to the Cornell Ruffian Equine Hospital near Belmont Park after developing a fever and a mild respiratory issue. On Tuesday afternoon, he tested positive for EHV-1.
The horse, trained by Linda Rice, has shown no neurological symptoms of the virus.
He remains at the Ruffian Center for observation and is scheduled to return to Belmont in the coming days, where he will be put into quarantine in an isolated barn as a precautionary measure. The horse will be closely monitored and subsequently retested.
In conjunction with the New York State Veterinarian and New York State Gaming Commission officials, the New York Racing Association is taking immediate, proactive steps to eliminate any additional exposure.
As a precaution, all horses in Barn 44 have been placed under quarantine, where they will be monitored daily for fever and other signs of illness. All horses exposed to the affected horse are afebrile and asymptomatic. During the initial quarantine process, these horses will not be permitted to run or enter races. They will have isolated training hours following the normal closure of the training track at 10:30 a.m.
NYRA will provide additional updates as necessary.
