North Carolina officials announced Sept. 18 that they have determined that a single load of alfalfa hay, originating in Kansas and delivered to Murphy Farm Hay and Feed in Louisburg on Aug. 11, was the source of blister beetle contamination.

The bales from this load of hay were bound with a reddish-orange twine. Murphy Farm Hay and Feed sold much of this hay at retail, as well as further distributed hay from this single load to Jones Farm Hay and Feed in Middlesex. No other North Carolina locations received hay from this Kansas farm.

Toxicology testing confirmed the presence of cantharidin, a poisonous substance found in blister beetles, and is linked to the deaths of six horses.

Customers who purchased alfalfa hay on or after Aug. 11 from either location are encouraged to stop using it immediately and return it to the location where purchased