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A serious disease in horses spread after the animals were exposed to it at a horse show in Utah.
The National Cutting Horse Association held its Western National Championship Show in Ogden, Utah. The show ran from April 29 to May 8 in the Golden Spike Events Center. About 500 horses attended, and 30 to 40 of them came from Utah.
The source of Equine Herpes Virus-1, (EHV-1), has been pinpointed to this horse show. Horses in California, Utah, Idaho, and Canada have confirmed cases of the virus. The Golden Spike Event Center issued a statement saying that within 10 hours of being notified of the virus outbreak, it had sterilized all areas the horses might have been.
The outbreak of EHV-1 has caused concern in the equine global community. There is no cure for the neurological form of the virus. Dr. Dwight Hooten DVM, a veterinary doctor who is well known internationally, was interviewed about the outbreak by Linda Parelli, an international trainer and instructor. The video of the interview can be seen via the link at the end of this article.
Dr. Hooten has received concerned calls from people in the horse industry as far away as Dubai.
The virus outbreak has been defined as the neurological version.
According to the USDA website, the virus “can cause respiratory disease, abortion in mares, neonatal foal death, and/or neurologic disease. The neurologic form of EHV-1 is called Equine Herpes Virus Myeloencephalopathy (EHM).” It can be transmitted on equipment, clothes, hands, and by air. The virus is endemic in America. Usually states handle outbreaks. If infected horses travel to multiple states, or the virus is transmitted across state lines, the USDA, a federal agency, becomes involved.
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