HONOLULU – After extensive tests and observations, an ensemble of veterinarians were not able to determine the specific cause of the deaths of about 13 wild horses from Waipio Valley on Hawaii Island that occurred during June and July 2018. It was noted that infectious diseases were not the cause of the deaths and that the incident may be attributed to possible exposure to a toxicological event.
Veterinarians from the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA), University of Hawaii Manoa-College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, local practicing veterinarians, researchers from the University of Hawaii Hilo–College of Pharmacy and a cadre of veterinarians, veterinary toxicologists and pathologists across the nation were involved in the attempt to determine why the horses exhibited neurological problems and eventually died.
