The Clark County Saddle Club is shutting down for two weeks and one equine group is skipping the Hazel Dell Parade of Bands this weekend as an outbreak of equine herpes spreads into Washington and Oregon.
As of Thursday, the Washington State Department of Agriculture has confirmed three cases of the highly contagious viral disease, equine herpes virus 1. Results from three more cases are pending.
To date, there are no reported or confirmed cases of equine herpes in Clark County. Oregon officials have confirmed one case in nearby Clackamas County, Ore. Confirmed and suspected cases have also been reported in Utah, Colorado and Idaho.
Equine herpes poses no threat to humans.
The disease was apparently spread at an event that took place April 30 to May 8 in Ogden, Utah. Thirty-four horses from Washington state attended the event, including one horse from Ridgefield, according to the National Cutting Horse Association, which held the event.
All three of the confirmed Washington cases are horses that were at the event. The confirmed cases are in Chelan, Thurston and Whitman counties.
Horses with the virus may exhibit fever, sneezing, slobbering, lethargy and other mild symptoms. Serious cases of the disease are rare but can include staggering, hind-end paralysis and death, according to the state.
The disease is spread by airborne transmission and horse-to-horse contact with nasal secretions on equipment, tack, feed and other surfaces. People with contaminated hands, clothing, shoes and vehicles can also spread the virus, according to the state Department of Agriculture.
The virus has an incubation period of two to 14 days, which prompted state veterinarian Leonard Eldridge to recommend horse owners who attended the Ogden event isolate their horses.
“For the protection of other horses, these owners are advised to keep their animals home for a couple of weeks,” Eldridge said.
Because equine herpes is highly contagious, the Clark County Saddle Club has decided to close for at least the next two weeks, board member Brett Grinde said.
The Saddle Club board of directors decided Thursday morning to cancel all events and close the club to all riders and horses as a precautionary measure, he said. The board will re-evaluate the situation and determine when to reopen the club in two weeks, Grinde said.
“There’s no event right now worth your horse’s life,” he said.
One of four equine groups scheduled to participate in the Hazel Dell Parade of Bands Saturday has canceled its appearance, parade co-chair Brad Lothspeich said.
Parade organizers are leaving the decision of whether to participate in the parade up to the equine groups.
The Clark County Fair Mounted Patrol is the only group to withdraw its entry as of Thursday afternoon, Lothspeich said.
A three-day event at the Clark County Event Center at the Fairgrounds has also been canceled. The Tennessee Walking Horses Breeder & Exhibitors Show was set to kick off today.
No specific treatment for equine herpes exists. Supportive treatment can include intravenous fluids, as well as anti-inflammatory and anti-viral drugs, according to the state Department of Agriculture.
Additional information about equine herpes is available at http://www.aaep.org/ehv.htm.
