Michigan horses that attended recent events in Texas and Oklahoma may have been exposed to an easily spread virus.

An outbreak of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) has been confirmed following the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association World Finals and Elite Barrel Race last month in Waco, Texas.

Horses that attended the Barrel Futurities of America World Championship in Guthrie, Oklahoma may have also been exposed, prompting a warning from Michigan’s state veterinarian.

EHV-1 can be transmitted directly through simple nose-to-nose contact, or indirectly through aerosolized particles that can contaminate grooming tools, water and feed buckets, and other equipment.

The virus typically causes upper respiratory disease and abortions or stillbirths in horses, according to the U.S. Department of

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