The threat of equine herpes virus-1 to Utah horses has declined to the point that owners should feel free to participate in rodeos, horse shows, parades and other events, state officials said on Tuesday.
Utah veterinarians have seen no other cases of EHV-1,which was traced to the National Cutting Horse Association’s Western National Championship in Ogden that ended May 8.
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State Veterinarian Bruce King says that enough time has passed for most horses that may have been exposed at the Ogden show to have developed the disease. Horses that have shown symptoms will remain quarantined at their private facilities and closely monitored until it is clear the virus is no longer present.
King said horse owners should take standard precautionary measures to protect against the disease. For instance, owners shouldn’t share water buckets with their neighbor’s horses, and they should not allow people to touch their horses if they have petted other animals. And when owners return home from events, King recommended that the horses be isolated from other horses for a minimum of two weeks.
"The EHV-1 virus was here before the Ogden event, and it will be here after the event," said King.
The disease cannot be transmitted to humans, but it is extremely contagious among horses. The virus can cause a mild, flulike illness in many cases, but some horses may become seriously or fatally ill with respiratory or neurological disease.
King said the only way to stop outbreaks is to vaccinate horses, but inoculations don’t protect against all forms of the disease.
Salt Lake County horse owner Dennie Dune said that although the situation has changed from an epidemic to isolated cases, he is taking another 10 days to two weeks before he attends any shows or competitions.
Dune, who is past president of the 22,000-member National Cutting Horse Association, said his group has lifted its ban against all association competitions, which had affected as many as 20 nationwide events.
"I’m less worried, but on a personal level, I’m still cautious because of the severity of the outbreak," said Dune who serves on the association’s executive board. "I believe other owners could also stay home for a while longer as well."
Utah officials have confirmed eight cases of EHV-1and 13 suspect cases at seven quarantined private locations in five counties: Box Elder, Davis, Kane, Salt Lake and Utah. Of the eight confirmed cases, two horses in Utah County were euthanized after not responding to treatment, officials said. Quarantines last at least 28 days.
A total of 84 confirmed cases — including 58 cases traced to the Ogden show — have been reported in 10 states: Utah, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon and Washington, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
More than 400 horses from 19 states were exposed to the virus at the Ogden competition, and 689 horses were secondarily exposed, according to an updated USDA report released in June.
Twelve horses have died, federal officials say.
In Utah, the 2011 Days of ’47 All Horse Parade, scheduled for July 12, has been canceled because of worries about the outbreak.
In past years, the event has attracted about 500 horses. But this year, the entry numbers were very low, an indication of how concerned horse owners are, organizers said.
All other horse-related events during The Days of ’47, including the rodeo and July 25 parade, will go on as scheduled. The parade is being held on July 25 this year because July 24 is a Sunday.
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