HERRIMAN, Utah (ABC 4 News) - The U.S. Bureau of Land Management's Regional Wild Horse and Burro facility has seen a recent outbreak of equine distemper.
According to BLM officials, the upper respiratory infection has been linked to the death of eleven wild horses at the facility.
The BLM says the deaths occurred over the past two weeks, with six of the deaths occurring since Sunday.
The BLM says that Equine distemper is a common upper respiratory infection that occurs in horse populations, especially when confined in holding facilities, and is highly contagious.
The infection causes a lack of appetite, fever, listlessness and a distinct swelling of the lymph nodes in the throat area, and that once it is spread, it is generally fatal for the horse.
BLM say they are working closely with the facility contract veterinarian to ensure the best care possible for those animals impacted by the infection, and that all animals at the facility are under a BLM-imposed quarantine and will not be shipped out until several weeks after any clinical signs are documented.
Due to the severity and contagious nature of the equine distemper occurring at the facility, BLM officials say that public access may be limited at times while veterinary care and sanitation measures are being undertaken.
For more information on the outbreak, call the Salt Lake Wild Horse & Burro facility at 801-561-4632.
----Information from: BLM.
