How The EHV-1 Outbreak Affects Oklahomans, Even Without Horses

In recent weeks, Oklahoma and Texas have seen a surge of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1), a highly contagious virus that affects horses. While EHV-1 does not infect humans, people can unknowingly carry and spread the virus.

Many Oklahomans own or work with horses, but even those who have nothing to do with horses in their daily lives could still be affected. Horses aren't just on the farms here.

They're involved in some of our favorite holiday traditions, which means this holiday season might look a lot different in Oklahoma.

EHV-1 can show no clinical signs and become fatal to horses - all it takes is a touch.

The recent outbreak of EHV-1 is believed to have started in Waco, Texas, involving a horse that tested positive for the disease directly linked to EHV-1. Unfortunately, the owners were unaware that their horse had this disease when they hauled to the Women's Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) World Finals Event earlier this month.

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Unfortunately, EHV-1 is an incredibly contagious virus. According to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, horses can get the virus from:

nose-to-nose contact with another horse
contaminated equipment like water buckets, feeders, and tack
Humans with contaminated hands, clothes, or equipment can act as a carrier

Owners with horses that have been infected by the virus have described an incredibly fast change with hardly any time to help their horse fight the disease. Rider Bailey Schneider tragically lost her horse, Shiloh, to the virus. She explained that there were no signs of issues until it was too late.

"Shiloh showed no signs of being sick; I rode her Monday, got her out of her stall Tuesday, and she was normal. I rode my other horses and came back, saddled her, and that's when I noticed her having EPM symptoms. It's escalated fast," she said. "Please pray for our other horses, this is scary!"

While the virus isn't harmful to people, they can still unknowingly transmit the virus to a healthy animal by touch, even by doing something as innocent as petting their nose.

How does a virus outbreak like EHV-1 affect Oklahomans without horses?

The main thing people will start to notice is the lack of events and gatherings with horses. Although horses can be vaccinated, the vaccines do not protect them from every form of the virus. In the case of the neurological version of EHV, there is currently no vaccine against it at all.

Some of our favorite holiday events, such as carriage rides, local horseback riding excursions, rodeos, barrel races, and other events may come to a halt until the outbreak calms down. You might also notice horses missing from highly anticipated holiday events, such as parades.

Local livestock auctions have already begun canceling their events in order to prevent horses from being in close contact with one another, like the Mountain View Livestock Auction.

Lastly, if you love to pet horses on the side of the road - this is your notice not to do so for the time being. Something as simple as a touch could become deadly until the outbreak is back under control.

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