Veterinarians with Colorado State University’s equine medical hospital are warning horse owners to be cautious amid an outbreak of equine herpes. An outbreak, first reported in Texas following a barrel racing event, has now spread to multiple states including Colorado.
There are two types of equine herpes virus. One is sexually transmitted, while the other is most commonly passed from horse-to-horse via mouth or nose. The current outbreak is known as “equine herpes virus one,” which is transmitted most commonly by discharge in the mouth or nose.
“Herpes in the horse is a viral disease, similar to people,” said Kathryn Wotman, director of equine and livestock services at CSU in Fort Collins…