herpes update (a lot less katie holmes and a lot more carp)...

a word to the wise: do not google image search herpes. trust me on this one.



Two horses stabled at Churchill Downs have been put down after they showed signs of equine herpes, a highly contagious virus that affects horses’ respiratory and nervous systems, state equine agriculture officials said Wednesday.

The two horses euthanized in the past week have not been identified, but three barns with about 100 horses have been quarantined and several other horses have shown mild symptoms of the disease, Bob Stout, Kentucky state veterinarian told horsemen Wednesday morning at a meeting at the track.

and

TOKYO — A total of 162 carp have died due to carp herpes in moats located on the outside of the Imperial Palace in central Tokyo, the Environment Ministry announced Monday.

The virus will not spread to other locations as the affected moats are not connected to rivers, the officials said. The only water that goes into the moats from outside are rainwater and spring water, and the water there is circulated through a filter, ministry officials said.