Nearly every animal carries at least one species of the herpes virus. Many carry up to four or five species of the virus. There are five species specific to horses. Diseases, and symptoms, associated with herpes viruses range from relatively mild to potentially deadly. These viruses are generally a "silent presence in the horse," and infections or flair ups generally go unnoticed. However, in certain situations the virus can cause violent outbreaks (Bonner). Signs, or symptoms, of outbreaks vary depending on the strain of the herpes virus. Proper management of the virus in the attacked population can increase the probability that attacked horses will recover. Although precautions can be taken to decrease the chance of outbreak, there is no 100% way to prevent the virus.
             The three most common types of the herpes virus are Equine Herpes Virus –1 (EHV-1), EHV-3, and EHV-4. They are all in the family Alphaherpesviruses. These are the fastest growing and most virulent types of the virus. The virus is not air-borne. It is spread through contact between horses, including direct touching, sharing common air space, by human contact from horses to horse, or by touching or moving organic material around the facility or farm to farm. . The virus is short-lived in the environment, and is very susceptible to disinfectants in clean environments. It lives outside of the host for up to three days, and is easily killed by bleach. The virus has an incubation period of two to ten days. Fever is the most common sign of infection. "The fever is said to be biphasic -one that is inconstant with fever for a period of time shortly after infection, then a period of normal temperature, then a second fever episode. The importance of this, obviously, is that if your horse is a little off or has a nasal discharge, but a normal temperature, you might be in the falling temperature period of a biphasic fever. This means you sho...