The Cañon City Wild Horse and Burro Facility was placed under quarantine on April 23, 2022 after a multifactorial respiratory disease complex including Equine Influenza killed 146 horses. An independent veterinarian and a federal veterinarian were on-site to help diagnose and treat animals. Horses showing signs of contagious illness were quarantined from the population. BLM Colorado's April 25 Press Release and April 28 Press Release are both available on our website for further information.
Reports related to this outbreak are listed below and on the right-hand side of this site.
Necropsy Reports
Necropsy reports from CSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Fort Collins have been made available below.
Investigative Reports
Our outbreak investigation report, Equine Influenza FAQ, and other resources can be found on the right-side of this page under "Outbreak Resources".
The July 1 Situation Report is available with no additional fatalities reported. This is the final Situation Report for the incident.
The Incident Review Team Report is available for review. The review offers recommendations to minimize the likelihood of a recurrent high-mortality event in the future.
- Situation Report Archive
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The June 24 Situation Report is available. One fatality was reported, however this was later determined to be unrelated to the outbreak.
The June 17 Situation Report is available with no additional fatalities reported.
The June 9 Situation Report is available with no additional fatalities reported.
The June 3 Situation Report is available with no additional fatalities reported.
The May 27 Situation Report is available with one additional fatality reported.
The May 23 Situation Report is available with no additional fatalities reported.
The May 22 Situation Report is available with no additional fatalities reported.
The May 21 Situation Report is available with one additional fatality reported.
The May 20 Situation Report is available with no additional fatalities reported.
The May 19 Situation Report is available with no additional fatalities reported.
The May 18 Situation Report is available with no additional fatalities reported
The May 17 Situation Report is available with no additional fatalities reported.
The May 16 Situation Report is available with no additional fatalities reported.
The May 15 Situation Report is available with 1 additional fatality reported.
The May 14 Situation Report is available with no addition fatalities reported.
The May 13 Situation Report is available with 1 additional fatality reported.
The May 12 Situation Report is available with no additional fatalities reported.
The May 11 Situation Report is available with 2 additional fatalities reported.
The May 10 Situation Report is available with no additional fatalities reported.
The May 9 Situation Report is available with an additional 2 fatalities reported.
The May 8 Situation Report is available with an additional 2 fatalities reported.
The May 7 Situation Report is available with an additional 5 fatalities reported.
The May 6 Situation Report is available with an addition 2 fatalities reported.
The May 5 Situation Report is available with an additional 2 fatalities reported. Additional culture testing has revealed bacterial pathogen presence along with equine influenza virus. Clinical evaluations and further DNA analysis is being completed to identify the strains of bacteria and virus involved in the outbreak.
The May 4 Situation Report is available with an additional 4 fatalities reported. Wild horse vaccination guidelines are also available at the bottom of this section.
The May 3 Situation Report is available with an additional 4 fatalities reported.
The May 2 Situation Report is available with an additional 2 fatalities reported.
The May 1 Situation Report is available with an additional 11 fatalities reported.
The April 30 Situation Report is available with an additional 4 fatalities reported, bringing total deaths up to 106 horses.
The April 29 Situation Report is available with an additional 8 fatalities reported. An error occurred in the original count of fatalities and has been corrected in the numbers below; all totals have decreased by one.
The April 28 Situation Report is available and the total number of fatalities has increased to 94. The BLM's most recent April 28 Press Release is available. The veterinarian report and addendum are available for review.
April 27: The total number of fatalities has increased to 84.
April 26: The total number of fatalities has increased to 66.
April 25: A total of 56 horses have died. The BLM and its partners are continuing to monitor horses and identify the illness.
- Vaccination Information
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Wild horses are to be processed within 30 days of capture, which will often include vaccinations. However, policy only requires that horses receive freeze brand and identification and the Coggins Test for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA).
Detailed guidance for prepping animals is provided in BLM Manual 4750-a (ca.1995) which specifies which vaccines are to be administered, but not a timeframe to begin. The Animal Health and Preventative Care Internal Memorandum provides an annual vaccination schedule for animals in corrals but does not specifically address when initial vaccinations should occur.
The current Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program standards, Chapter IV.D.2 establishes a 30-day timeframe for prepping animals but only specifies EIA testing and freeze marking within that timeframe. Vaccination is an integral part of the process but is done on the advice of the attending veterinarian who may require a delay depending on the condition of the animal(s).
- Outbreak Resources
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The Outbreak Investigation Report
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Equine Influenza