A highly contagious and potentially deadly horse virus is forcing event cancellations and quarantines across the region. The Texas Department of Agriculture is warning horse riders, owners and trainers of an aggressive strain of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) after an outbreak was traced to a large event in Waco earlier this month.<\/p>\n
When you visit the Fort Worth Stockyards, there are usually longhorns \u2014 and horses. But for the next week or so, the iconic animals will be missing from the twice-daily cattle drives that draw crowds to Exchange Avenue.<\/p>\n
Trail boss Georgia Cartwright with the Fort Worth Herd said her team is keeping horses in their stables to prevent the spread of EHV-1.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is not dangerous for humans, it is not dangerous for my cattle,\u201d Cartwright said.<\/p>\n
Still, Cartwright said the virus can be transferred by humans who come into contact with horses \u2014 and that\u2019s a daily occurrence during the Stockyards cattle drives.<\/p>\n
“It was a hard decision. It was a difficult decision, but I feel that we\u2019ve made the best decision for the health of our horses,\u201d Cartwright said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis virus can spread fast, it can be deadly, and the earliest signs are often so subtle they\u2019re easy to miss,\u201d TDA Commissioner Sid Miller said<\/a>. \u201cThat\u2019s why monitoring your horses right now is critical. The quicker we identify a potential case, the better chance we have to protect not only our animals, but the entire Texas equine community.\u201d<\/p>\n