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Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026

Fact check: Is a neurological virus outbreak affecting horses in El Paso?

Brandy Ruiz, El Paso Matters
no

No respiratory virus outbreak is affecting horses in El Paso, according to the Texas Animal Health Commission.

El Paso County last fall recorded one case of equine infectious anemia, or EIA, a blood-borne disease that spreads through biting flies or contaminated needles. The case was posted by the Equine Disease Communication Center Nov. 5, and the affected facility was quarantined Oct. 30, the TAHC states.

The commission issued an advisory for equine herpesvirus-1, linked to a neurological case confirmed during a racing event in Waco, Texas. Doña Ana County in New Mexico reported EIA and EHV-1 cases, but none have been confirmed in El Paso.

The advisory recommended canceling or postponing equine events statewide to protect horses from exposure.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Posse pulled its horses from a Thanksgiving Day parade as a precaution, though none tested positive for EIA or EHV-1, according to EPCSP Lt. Vernon Burke.

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