Utah horse owners are urged to limit travel to rodeo events and take other precautions, now that Nevada has reported multiple cases of an often-fatal neurological virus in equine animals.
"These recently reported cases are with horses that have traveled in junior high, high school, and professional circuits,” Barry Pittman, the Utah state veterinarian said in a news release Thursday. “We aren’t clear on all the specifics of the potential exposures in Utah, but awareness, vigilance and reporting are important right now as we continue to trace origins and review potential contact that may have occurred.”
Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy (EHM) is usually spread by direct horse-to-horse contact through the respiratory tract and nasal secretions, according to the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF).