Bodog Beat

Charles Town Races and Slots in West Virginia may be open for live racing later this week. (AP Images)

One of the barns at the Charles Town track was placed under quarantine this past Monday until Thursday, March 13 but possibly longer depending on the outcome of test results for a sick horse who is displaying signs and symptoms of Equine Herpes Virus, according to a March 11 release from the Department of Agriculture.

“Because we are unsure of what we're dealing with at this particular time, the department’s state veterinarian, the Charles Town track veterinarian, and the racing stewards have agreed it would be best to quarantine the barn and suspend events at the track until we can determine what this horse is suffering from,” West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Gus Douglass said in a statement.

The track's chief steward, Danny Wright, confirmed that samples were taken from the horse (whose identity has remained unknown) and sent to Kentucky for analysis. Equine Herpes Virus is highly contagious disease and will attack a horse’s upper respiratory and neurological systems.

Maryland horses aren’t under an immediate threat according to a release from the Maryland Department of Agriculture, “Maryland’s state veterinarian is satisfied that the West Virginia Department of Agriculture has taken all necessary and appropriate steps to control any diseases that may be present,” the department said in a release.

Since the 2006 Eastern Seaboard outbreak of the Equine Herpes Virus, which disrupted racing and training schedules, the racing industry has taken extreme precautions over the past several years when horses exhibit symptoms of this disease. Already this year, a barn was quarantined at Bowie Training Center in Maryland after a horse displayed symptoms of the disease, but the horse tested negative. This disease is of no threat to humans.

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