San Miguel could reopen Monday

June 2, 2011 - Statewide, some equine events scheduled for late May and early June have been rescheduled for August or later into the fall, but if the equine herpesvirus (EHV-1) outbreak continues to taper off, it’s possible that equine lives will be getting back to normal in the next week or so.

“It’s been pretty quiet here. I miss the activity — people riding and smiling,” said San Miguel County Fairgrounds (SMCF) Manager Dee Anna Burbridge on Monday.

Burbridge continues to monitor the situation and will do so through June 1, the end of the second incubation period, each of which is 21 – 28 days. SMCF has been closed to all equine activity since May 20. Other facilities in the state also closed around the same time due to an outbreak that had the entire U.S. equine world steeled for the worst.

While EHV-1 cannot be contracted by humans, it can be transmitted from horse to horse by air or nose-to-nose contact, and via humans through tack, equipment and clothing.

If no other cases break out in the region, Burbridge hopes on Monday, June 6, to make a recommendation to the county commissioners to re-open the fairgrounds and “get back to business as usual.”

Burbridge said that at the end of last week, other counties under quarantine and with closed facilities were planning in the same way. Colorado State Veterinarian Dr. Keith Roehr last week said, "The encouraging news for us is that we have not seen any new confirmed cases in Colorado since May 20, and we hope that trend continues, but we still cannot let down our guard as we work to mitigate and control EHV-1.”

Read More: Telluride Daily Planet