Olympics Allows Diseased Horses

Yielding to international pressure, Georgia and federal agriculture officials have decided to permit some horses to compete in the Summer Olympics even though they carry a tick-borne disease and would ordinarily be barred from the United States.

The disease, piroplasmosis, is pervasive, but generally benign, in parts of Europe and South America. Because it is extremely rare in the United States, however, it is debilitating and potentially fatal to horses here.

Nonetheless, after months of negotiations, Georgia and federal officials agreed that if horses that tested positive would undergo a rigorous protocol designed to minimize the risk of spreading the disease, they could enter the country and compete in two of the three Olympic equestrian events.

Under the plan, these horses will be housed in an isolation barn and allowed to compete only in show jumping and dressage.