Disease

In an effort to curb further spread of the HPAI virus and implement additional control measures to protect the dairy and poultry industries and public health in Colorado, the Colorado Department of Agriculture is implementing mandatory statewide surveillance for all Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) licensed commercial cow dairies. This action will help identify any additional infected dairies with the virus with the goal of preventing further spread of the disease.

The Colorado State Veterinarian’s office has confirmed the first case of equine West Nile Virus (WNV) of 2023 in a gelding residing in Weld County. The horse presented with sudden neurological symptoms including weakness, stumbling and recumbency and was euthanized as a result of his condition. The age and vaccine status for this gelding are unknown.  

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) are cautioning horse owners not to feed Top of the Rockies alfalfa cubes with the date codes 111222, 111322, 111422, 111522, and 111622. Consumers who have products marked with those date codes or who are unsure of the date code should throw them away in a secure container and follow the handling and cleaning instructions below.

A horse residing in Weld County has been diagnosed with West Nile Virus (WNV), marking Colorado’s first confirmed equine WNV case in 2021. The horse, which had not been vaccinated against WNV, developed acute neurological signs on July 24, 2021 and is currently recovering.  

The Colorado Departments of Agriculture and Public Health and Environment have confirmed that a mule residing in Eagle County recently tested positive for bat variant rabies.  This is the first case of rabies in domestic livestock in Colorado this year and the first case of rabies in an equine in Colorado since 2013.  

The spillover of bat variant rabies into domestic animals and wildlife is less common than skunk variant rabies in Colorado but is still possible. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 17, 2020
Veterinarians and Livestock Owners Contact:  Colorado State Veterinarian’s Office, 303-869-9130
Media Contact:  Mary Peck, 720-428-0441, mary.peck@state.co.us

Broomfield, Colo. - Since the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) began offering the option of no-cost Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) livestock ear tags in early 2020, the state veterinarian’s office has dispensed 59,120 tags across Colorado. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 30, 2020
Veterinarians and Livestock Owners Contact: Colorado State Veterinarian’s Office, 303-869-9130
Media Contact: Mary Peck, 720-428-0441, mary.peck@state.co.us

Broomfield, Colo. - A horse residing in Jefferson County has been diagnosed with West Nile Virus (WNV), marking the first confirmed equine WNV case in 2020.