Officials say a weekend rodeo at a rural high school outside Las Vegas has been postponed amid warnings from state officials about an outbreak of highly contagious horse viruses.
Nevada High School Rodeo board chairman Dustin Feyder said Friday the Moapa Valley High School rodeo was pushed back from this weekend to March 25.
Nevada Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Rebecca Allured said state veterinarian JJ Goicoechea is trying to stem the spread of equine herpes virus type 4 and Streptococcus equi bacterial infection.
They're also known as EHV-4 and equine distemper, or strangles.
Both can cause lifelong illness in infected animals, and both are on the National List of Reportable Animal Diseases.
Goicoechea recommended postponing the Moapa Valley event after some horses at a rodeo last weekend in Boulder City began showing signs of illness.