Wyoming horse being tested for disease

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP)--A stallion in Wyoming is being tested for exposure to a highly contagious equine venereal disease.

State Veterinarian Walt Cook said the stallion has been quarantined but he declined to say where it is located other than to say it is in "western Wyoming."

"It'll take about a week for him to get tested, and another week to 10 days to get results," Cook said Jan. 22. "We're probably talking about 18 days to get results, something like that."

A mare that was bred to the stallion in Wyoming has been linked to another Wisconsin stallion that was infected with contagious equine metritis.

However, the mare was sold to someone in Texas recently. It also is being tested for the disease.

Wyoming has never had a case of the disease, which can result in temporary infertility and cause mares to abort their young.

Wyoming is among at least 40 states involved in testing of horses that may have been exposed to the disease through natural breeding or artificial insemination.

So far, more than 330 exposed stallions and mares have been identified nationwide and placed in quarantine.

The bacterial disease has been detected three times in the United States since 1978. The disease does not affect humans or other livestock.

Date: 3/11/09