A horse in Sarasota County, Florida, was recently confirmed positive for equine coronavirus. The horse developed a 102.5-degree fever, inappetence, and diarrhea. It is now under quarantine, and 12 horses are exposed.

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 Coronavirus

Equine coronavirus (ECoV) is a highly infectious pathogen that impacts the enteric, or intestinal, system of horses, causing fever, lethargy, anorexia, and in more severe cases, colitis and endotoxemia.

Historically thought to only occur in foals, ECoV has been increasingly reported in adult horses. It is transmitted between horses through exposure to contaminated fecal material, and it is most commonly diagnosed in the winter. 

ECoV has a short incubation period between 48 and 72 hours. Clinical signs generally last for up to one week, but horses can shed the virus in their feces for up to 21 days.