PIGEON FORGE — It appears the outbreak of a life-threatening illness among the horses at Dixie Stampede is bigger than was first thought, and now staffers at the theater are dealing with a full-on crisis.
Pete Owens, a spokesman for Dixie Stampede on the spreading Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1), says six of the horses that regularly perform in the show have no been diagnosed with the disease. While there's no guarantee that will be the end of the matter, he said handlers are taking every precaution they can to prevent further spread.
The number of infected includes Sandy Jo, the first horse to exhibit symptoms. She had to be euthanized by doctors at the University of Tennessee Veterinary Medical Center on Friday but so far remains the only one whose life was claimed by the outbreak.
As for the rest of the stock currently infected, Owens said extreme measures have been taking to protect the rest of the animals.
"All five are separate from the herd in an isolation area and are being treated for the virus," he said. "They are not performing in the show. All are responding to the treatment and their prognosis is good. The USDA has inspected Dixie Stampede and commended the facility on its disinfection and treatment protocol."
EHV-1 can cause several different types of illness in horses, but most often it presents as a respiratory disease somewhat similar to the Rhinovirus in humans that starts with a fever and can progress quickly through stages that include weakness, muscle spasms and a runny nose. In some horses the virus has more impact, developing into a neurological disorder that can kill, Veterinarian Tanis MacDonald has explained on her website. That's apparently what happened with Sandy Jo, veterinarians have confirmed.
This particular virus is not a sexually transmitted disease and is "ridiculously contagious," MacDonald writes. The specialists at Dixie took steps immediately to prevent further spread that included quarantining Zeke, the second horse believed to have the virus, and prohibiting visitors from touching the animals. Even a human's touch can spread the sickness if that person pets an ill horse and then a healthy one, Owens said.
However, it appears all those steps weren't enough, with the spread now claiming six of the show's 42 horses. Still, as the old slogan goes, "The show must go on."
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The Mountain Press - Horse disease spreads at Dixie Stampede attraction remains open
Update 9-25-2011
PIGEON FORGE — It appears the outbreak of a life-threatening illness among the horses at Dixie Stampede is bigger than was first thought, and now staffers at the theater are dealing with a full-on crisis.
Pete Owens, a spokesman for Dixie Stampede on the spreading Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1), says six of the horses that regularly perform in the show have no been diagnosed with the disease. While there's no guarantee that will be the end of the matter, he said handlers are taking every precaution they can to prevent further spread.
The number of infected includes Sandy Jo, the first horse to exhibit symptoms. She had to be euthanized by doctors at the University of Tennessee Veterinary Medical Center on Friday but so far remains the only one whose life was claimed by the outbreak.
As for the rest of the stock currently infected, Owens said extreme measures have been taking to protect the rest of the animals.
"All five are separate from the herd in an isolation area and are being treated for the virus," he said. "They are not performing in the show. All are responding to the treatment and their prognosis is good. The USDA has inspected Dixie Stampede and commended the facility on its disinfection and treatment protocol."
Read more:
The Mountain Press - Horse disease spreads at Dixie Stampede attraction remains open
