A horse in Northumberland County has tested positive for a fast-spreading, sometimes fatal equine disease that has left at least two horses dead in Texas and sickened 29 others from multiple states, according to the Equine Disease Communications Center.
The outbreak of equine herpesvirus (EHV) — a highly contagious respiratory infection with strains that can cause more serious neurological disease — has Pennsylvania horse owners on edge and led some exhibitors to consider pulling out of the 2026 Farm Show, which opens in six weeks.
The majority of the neurological Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy (EHM) cases are not fatal, the EDCC says, and most outbreaks between 60 to 70% of affected horses recover with treatment.
The most recent outbreak of the virus was found in horses from at least eight states competing in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) World Finals and Elite Barrel Race in Waco, Texas.
Two other cases led to the suspension of a rodeo in Oklahoma, and an unrelated case led to the euthanization of a horse in Maryland.
The infected Pennsylvania horse, which state officials say has EHV-4, a milder form of the respiratory illness, was not connected to the Texas outbreak.
He was at the Keystone Yearling and Breeder’s Sale on Nov. 7 and 8 in Bloomsburg.
Keystone Horse Center, which operates the facility where the sale was held, said on its Facebook page that all horses on site had health certificates and other documentation as required by the state Department of Agriculture and that biosecurity precautions, such as intensive cleaning, were taken before the sale.
“We follow strict biohazard protocols,” said manager Adele Stevens. “We disinfect everything, and then pressure wash. I’m comfortable with what we did, and we do it all the time.”
She says there were 300 horses at the center for the sale, and she’s heard of no other cases of EHV.
The Texas outbreak and news of an infected Pennsylvania horse have the equestrian community here on edge, especially those planning to compete at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in January.
Tiffany Ramsey, of Abbottstown, who has shown draft horses at the Farm Show for more than 20 years and was planning to bring three horses, said she is weighing her options given the expense of getting required health certificates and shoeing for the horses.
At the very least, she said she will likely not bring one — a 6-year-old pregnant mare — as female horses in foal that contract the disease are at high risk.
“She is my fancy horse,” Ramsey said. “I am not going to risk losing her.”
She’s also concerned about the proximity to horses that might be carriers, given the Farm Show stabling and wash stall arrangements.
Shannon Powers, an agriculture department spokeswoman, said there have been no reported cases of EHM in Pennsylvania tied to the Texas outbreak.
She said four horses confirmed to live in Pennsylvania were exposed at the Texas rodeo, and they have been under quarantine.
She said none have shown signs of the disease and will continue to be quarantined on their return to Pennsylvania.
Some events at Bull Ride Mania at the Farm Show complex last weekend that involved out-of-state horses were canceled, while other events continued with only Pennsylvania horses not exposed to the virus, Powers said.
As far as equines at the Farm Show are concerned, Powers said, “We don’t have a definitive answer yet, but nothing has been cancelled.”
Powers said any decisions will be made in the coming weeks.
The agriculture department urged horse owners to monitor their horses for symptoms of the disease, such as fever, nasal discharge, lethargy or hind-end weakness. Veterinarians are required to report any cases of EHM to the state.
Powers urged horse owners to monitor updates from the Equine Disease Communications Center, an independent non-profit that creates and disseminates verified equine disease reports.
Maintaining good biosecurity practices at farms, such as isolating new horses or those that have traveled, cleaning and disinfecting stalls, buckets and grooming supplies, experts say, is the best way to prevent or minimize the spread of disease.
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