Deadly Horse Herpes Virus Outbreak Spreads To 4 States, Canada

CBS Sacramento 05/17/2011 17:28

At least 10 horses in California have tested positive for a deadly horse virus in an outbreak that has hit several Western states and Canada that has spread since a horse competition earlier this month in Utah.

So far, horses in Idaho, Utah, Colorado, California, Washington and Canada have been infected with the highly contagious Equine Herpes Virus-1. The disease poses no threat to people, but it is easily spread among horses, alpacas and llamas because it can be airborne and transmitted by touch or by sharing feed, brushes, bits and other equipment.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture says 10 horses in Kern, Placer, Stanislaus, Amador and Napa counties have confirmed cases of Equine Herpes. One horse in Kern County had to be euthanized after showing severe neurologic signs.

The infected horses were among roughly 500 that attended the National Cutting Horse Association Western National Championships in Ogden, Utah, earlier this month. Now officials in several states, including California, are quarantining infected animals and asking owners of other horses that attended the competition to monitor the animals for symptoms.