State officials reported just two new confirmed case of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) yesterday. However, new information surfaced about some of the existing cases in the outbreak, which is thought to have stemmed from a cutting horse championship competition recently held in Ogden, Utah.

Although it’s not transmissible to humans, EHV-1 is highly contagious among horses and camelids, and it is generally passed from horse to horse via aerosol transmission (when affected animals sneeze/cough) and contact with nasal secretions. The disease can cause a variety of ailments in equines, including rhinopneumonitis (a respiratory disease usually found in young horses), abortion in broodmares, and myeloencephalopathy (EHM, the neurologic form). Myeloencephalopathy is characterized by fever, ataxia (incoordination), weakness or paralysis of the hind limbs, and incontinence.

Additionally, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service released an updated situation report yesterday, which can be viewed online