Livestock Officials Recommend all Equine Events in Flathead County be Canceled

Feb 01, 2023

By Edward F. O'Brien

The Montana Department of Livestock recommends the cancellation of all equine events in Flathead County.

State livestock officials are making the recommendation following multiple confirmed cases of equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy, or EHM in Flathead County. The agency says several horses from the region have been euthanized because they were so ill.

The Livestock Department urges local horse owners and event coordinators to limit travel that bring horses from multiple sources together through February 6th.

Equine herpesvirus-1 is a potentially serious disease that can cause respiratory or neurologic disease in affected horses. The neurologic form of disease, EHM, is often fatal.

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Video: Biosecurity Compliance - Dr. Jean-Pierre Vaillancourt

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Jean-Pierre Vaillancourt, professor of veterinary medicine at the University of Montreal, discusses the human side of biosecurity compliance. He explains why protocols often fail when people are tired, unconvinced, undertrained, or working with impractical systems, and how leadership, employee input, technology, feedback, and small incentives can make biosecurity more consistent on swine farms. Listen now on all major platforms!

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Meet the guest: Dr. Jean-Pierre Vaillancourt is a veterinarian and professor of veterinary medicine at the University of Montreal. His work focuses on biosecurity, infectious disease control, and practical risk reduction in animal production systems, with experience across swine and poultry health. Learn more from Dr. Jean-Pierre Vaillancourt on The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, available on all major platforms.