2 New Equine Herpes Virus Cases in Nevada, Appears Easing Elsewhere in western USA

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By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

Two new cases of equine herpes virus were reported in Nevada Wednesday, the only state posting additional confirmed infections, while New Mexico said movement of horses should not return to normal for up to another 10 days to contain the outbreak that has led to the deaths of eight horses in the western United States.

Every other state impacted by the outbreak reported no new cases for the second straight day, according to a check of every state government by dressage-news.com. Among them was California that has reported the most cases of any state in the western United States and Canada–16 from the National Cutting Horse Western Championships in Ogden, Utah and the only two from a Bakersfield, California cutting horse event.

In the states directly affected by the outbreak that began among horses attending the Ogden event, eight horses have died or been euthanized and 46 have been confirmed to suffer from Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy, a mutated neurological version of EHV-1 that is highly contagious. It does not affect humans.

Several competitions in different disciplines were canceled in an effort to contain the outbreak, disrupting horse shows planned for the three-day Memorial Day weekend.

Organizers of some dressage events that were going ahead reported numerous withdrawals.

The two cases in the Reno area of Nevada brought to three the number confirmed in the state in past two days. The latest were exposed to horses that attended the event in Ogden early this month. The horses that participated in the event did not develop the disease.

Dave E. Fly, the New Mexico State Veterinarian, said Wednesday: “It appears that the outbreak is under control; however due to additional exposures either at other events or horses that were exposed, but have not been identified, it has been determined that an additional 7–10 days is needed before normal equine movement can resume. It is recommended that major or large equine events not be conducted for the next 10 days.”

But in Texas, the Animal Health Commission reported it has started releasing from quarantine horses that either attended or were exposed to horses from the Ogden show.

Among the competitions going ahead as scheduled over the Memorial Day weekend is Dressage at Flintridge in La Cañada-Flintridge in Los Angeles, that is the second of three qualifying shows across the country for young horses seeking to represent the U.S. at the world young dressage horse championships in Verden, Germany, in August.

Other U.S. Equestrian Federation-sanctioned competitions proceeding in the west include Dressage Derby I and II in Vacaville, California, Friday through Sunday and the 16th annual Spokane Sport Horse Spring Dressage in Washington.

In Colorado where two deaths, nine confirmed and 22 suspected cases were reported earlier in the outbreak, Dressage in the Plains I and II in Peyton scheduled for Friday through Sunday and the Whispering Winds schooling show in Monument were canceled.

The Oregon Dressage Society advised that the Fort Vancouver Dressage Show and the Twin Rivers Summer Sizzler Practice Show scheduled for the Memorial Day weekend would not be held because of concerns over the EHV-1 outbreak and that many barns were voluntarily imposing a quarantine on their facilities.

Oregon joined Colorado and Wyoming in tightening regulations on horses transported from other states.