With rodeo season just over the horizon, Texas’ equine industry has come to a standstill after an outbreak of Equine Herpesvirus Type 1, or EHV-1, was traced earlier this month to a barrel-racing competition in Waco.
The virus has since been confirmed in multiple states and surfaced much closer to home. Last week, the Galveston County Parks Department closed the covered arena in Hitchcock’s Jack Brooks Park, site of the Galveston County Fair & Rodeo, through Dec. 2. Over the weekend, Fort Worth’s Stockyards Championship Rodeo was reduced to bull riding only after canceling its equine-related events, reported Dallas’ WFAA-TV.
EHV-1 is not harmful to humans, according to health officials, but humans can help transmit the virus between animals. Officials advise wearing protective clothing and washing hands between handling multiple horses. The virus can spread in numerous ways, including through nose-to-nose contact, respiratory droplets at short distances, and contaminated riding tack and other equipment.
For the horses, meanwhile, EHV is significantly more serious. The virus is linked to Equine Herpes Myoencephalopathy, a neurological disease that can cause respiratory diseases and miscarriages and fetal deaths in pregnant mares. The initial symptom is often a fever of 102 degrees or more; others include lethargy, nasal discharge, lack of coordination, and hindquarters weakness…