A rodeo scheduled for Memorial weekend in Colorado Springs has been canceled and the events center is under quarantine amid concerns about a herpes-infected horse that was euthanized last week.
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A rodeo scheduled for Memorial weekend in Colorado Springs has been canceled and the events center is under quarantine amid concerns about a herpes-infected horse that was euthanized last week.
© 2014 by Dale Stork
Concerns developed last week when a horse in Rio Grande County tested positive for Equine Herpes Myeloencephalitis EHV-1. The horse was euthanized due to complications from the virus, according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture.
That horse and others from the same stable attended events in Henderson on April 26-27, in Eagle on May 2-4 and Rocky Ford on May 10-11, putting other horses at risk, officials said, though they haven't gotten any reports.
Another horse shared a stall and drank out of the same bucket as the horse that tested positive for EHV-1. The second horse developed a fever last week. It is being monitored and its facility is under quarantine, according to the State Veterinarian's Office.
"I think it's probably an overreaction on our part, but we can't take that risk," said Johnny Walker, general manager of the Norris-Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs.
EHV infection in horses can cause respiratory disease, abortion in mares, neonatal foal death, and neurological disease. The virus is not transmissible to humans. Damage to the blood vessels in the brain and spinal cord cause neurological signs to appear. EHM is most often due to the neuropathogenic strain of EHV-1 and may occasionally be caused by the non-neuropathogenic strain of the virus.
The disease is easily spread and typically has an incubation period between 2-10 days. Respiratory shedding of the virus occurs for 7-10 days, but may last longer in infected horses.
State regulations require that veterinarians report the disease to the state veterinarian's office. Those traveling between states are required to carry papers verifying that a horse has been checked within the past 30 days.