Equine Herpesvirus puts Erath Area Barns on High Alert

STEPHENVILLE, Texas - A highly contagious equine virus linked to a major barrel racing event in Waco has Central Texas horse owners scrambling to tighten biosecurity, cancel jackpots and watch their horses like hawks.

On Tuesday, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) issued a statewide alert about an outbreak of Equine Herpesvirus Type 1 (EHV-1) reported by veterinarians after the WPRA World Finals and Elite Barrel Race, held in the Waco area Nov. 5-9.

Miller urged anyone who hauled to that event, or to other large horse gatherings in the Waco region in the past two weeks, to “act swiftly, monitor their animals carefully, and implement heightened biosecurity measures.”

What officials have confirmed so far

The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) has confirmed at least one Texas Quarter Horse with equine herpes myeloencephalopathy (EHM) - the neurologic form of EHV-1 - that attended the Waco event. In a separate update, the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) reported seven EHM cases linked to the show:

• Two horses in McLennan County, Texas (Waco area)

  
  

• Two in Logan County, Oklahoma

  
  

• Three in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana

Because horses from the Waco event have now shipped home to barns across Texas and beyond, officials have ordered a 14-day movement hold on horses that were at the show and are advising event producers to consider postponing upcoming competitions until more is known.

Local impact: 377 Arena cancels events, Central Texas on edge

Central Texas is one of the country’s busiest performance-horse corridors, and many competitors from Stephenville, Erath County, Weatherford and surrounding areas hauled to Waco earlier this month.

In social media posts shared widely on Wednesday, 377 Arena LLC in Stephenville announced that its Wednesday team roping jackpot and upcoming barrel racing events have been cancelled “due to the EHV-1 outbreak.”

Veterinary hospitals and clinics across the region have also begun posting their own alerts, warning clients about exposure risk for horses that attended the WPRA Finals in Waco or events hosted at 377 Arena in Stephenville on Nov. 15-16.

What EHV-1 is - and why this cluster is worrying

EHV-1 is a common equine herpesvirus that can cause:

• Respiratory illness (fever, cough, nasal discharge)

  
  

• Late-term abortion in pregnant mares

  
  

• The neurologic form known as EHM, which can lead to hind-end weakness, incoordination, loss of tail tone and, in severe cases, a horse being unable to stand.

Some horses can carry EHV-1 silently and begin shedding without obvious signs, which is one reason big shows and jackpots can become rapid amplifiers during an outbreak.

What local horse owners are being asked to do

According to TAHC, owners of horses that may have been in contact with these horses or exposed to EHM should work with their veterinary practitioner to establish appropriate monitoring and diagnostic plans to take precautions.

• Clean and disinfect tack, boots, equipment, and grooming supplies.

• When you return to your premises, isolate the horses that attended the event for at least two weeks.

• Have the temperature of returning horses monitored twice daily for at least 14 days after last known

  exposure. If a fever (>102.5°F) or other signs consistent with EHM develop, contact your veterinarian.

• When doing feeding and chores, work with the returning horses last, wear boots and coveralls, and

  remove them before working with your other horses.

  
  

• Don’t forget to wash your hands.

  
  

• Submit laboratory samples for clinical horses to Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory

  (TVMDL) or other American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) accredited

  laboratory.

Sorting social media from official information

A Facebook post circulating widely in the Stephenville equine community this week summarizes much of the TDA alert and has helped spread word of the Waco-linked outbreak quickly.

Most of the information in that post; including the link to the Waco event, the description of symptoms, and the list of biosecurity steps, lines up with what state veterinary authorities are telling horse owners.

Where things become less clear is the claim that “positive cases [are] confirmed in Stephenville.” While area arenas and clinics are treating the situation as a serious exposure and some barns have already gone into voluntary quarantine, TAHC and EDCC have not yet published Stephenville-specific case numbers in their official reports as of Thursday.

The takeaway for Erath County horse owners

For now, officials are asking for calm but serious vigilance:

• Assume that horses who have been to recent large events in Waco or at 377 Arena could have been exposed.

• Quarantine and monitor rather than hauling as usual.

• Lean on your regular veterinarian for up-to-date guidance, and watch for updates from TDA, TAHC and EDCC, which are continuing to track and post new confirmed cases.

State veterinarian Dr. Bud Dinges summed up the message in TAHC’s latest release: horse owners should “stay vigilant and monitor animals closely,” weigh the risks of commingling, and take the virus seriously while the investigation continues.