A respiratory disease broke out at a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) horse holding facility in Caсon City, CO, killing nearly 100 horses in less than a week.
The disease, first unidentifiable, was determined to be a strain of equine influenza (subtype H3N8). From April 23 to April 28, a total of 95 horses died at the facility, largely impacting horses from West Douglas. More typical and mild clinical signs of influenza are being identified in 10-20 percent of the other 2,184 horses at the facility that are not from West Douglas.
The West Douglas horses were gathered in 2021 following a wildfire that affected their habitat. “The Bureau of Land Management will review operations at the Caсon City facility to prevent future outbreaks like this from occurring,” said BLM Colorado Acting Associate State Director Ben Gruber.
Editor’s Note: As of May 4, 117 horses have died at the Canon City Wild Horse and Burro Facility.
