Potomac Horse Fever Present in the Chateauguay Valley

Regardless of circumstance, your horse may be at risk for PHF, a water-borne bacterium that has been determined to be present in certain parts of North America.

Many equine enthusiasts do their best to ensure the well being of their horses—from ensuring that the animals are up to date with shots to calling on the farrier every six to eight weeks to following a particular feeding program—but there are always variables that are out of any owner’s control. Recently, the Chateauguay Valley has seen the development of Potomac Horse Fever, an ailment that may prove fatal to equines.

First discovered near the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., Potomac Horse Fever, or PHF, has become increasingly common in the Northeast, North-Central and mid-Atlantic regions of North America. According to studies, PHF manifests due to a bacteria called Neorickettsia Risticii, which thrives in snails and freshwater flukes. It is important to note that PHF is not spread form horse to horse, but is instead transmittable through the horse’s consumption of water-borne parasites and/or insects.

Manifesting as a fever, the horse will usually only show noticeable signs approximately two weeks later. The horse may suffer from a lack of appetite, depression, diarrhea, colic-like symptoms, a miscarriage, or even laminitis (in extreme cases). A positive diagnosis may only be determined via a blood test, which is then sent to a select number of experts to determine the presence of PHF. If caught early enough, the horse can be treated with an intravenous oxytetracycline antibiotic or antibiotic administration, but the results are not guaranteed. Often, it is up to the horse.

According to Dr. Shannon Whatman of the Champlain Veterinary Clinic in Hemmingford, the Association of Equine Veterinarians of Quebec (AVEQ) issued an update on PHF, after two horses died of the latter, with over ten over suspicious cases being reported to the Quebec Equine Surveillance Network. While there is a vaccine available, its efficacy is questionable, according to Whatman. The vaccine “tends only to lessen the severity of the disease, but not prevent it.” That being said, she still stated that a vaccination in endemic areas is recommended.