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Biosecurity strategies are part of waging a war on equine infectious disease, not just on your farm, but also around the country.
When it comes to your horse’s care, you are meticulous in every nutritional, veterinary
and physical need. You keep his stabling tidy and hygienic, the tack clean and shiny. Yet, one factor often gets overlooked – biosecurity. It is common for horse owners to introduce new individuals into a stabling environment or a herd immediately and without concern. However, just as people can carry or incubate disease and pass it on to unsuspecting persons at a meeting, in the supermarket, or on an airplane, horses can do the same to other equids on the farm or while away at events.
The strategy to minimize this transmission risk is termed biosecurity: It is the compilation of manage- ment protocols that limit transmission and spread
of infectious diseases like bacteria, viruses, or fungal infections wherever horses congregate. Recent, serious outbreaks of highly infectious and potentially fatal equine neurologic herpesvirus (equine herpes my- elitis, or EHM) persistently pop up throughout the country; biosecurity is to be taken seriously. Anytime horses congregate at home or away, they are subject to exposure to any number of infectious diseases, such as strangles (Streptococcus equi), equine influenza virus, equine rhinopneumonitis (herpesvirus), vesicular sto- matitis virus, and Salmonella, as just a few examples.
There are effective equine vaccines against two viral respiratory diseases – equine rhinopneumonitis and influenza – which is one method of helping to contain spread of these diseases. A vaccination exists for strangles, but is often used primarily only on at- risk horses. Besides vaccinations, there are innumer- able methods to maximize biosecurity and keep your horse’s health as safe as possible.
PRACTICAL BIOSECURITY
Every facility has the ability to implement meth- ods to keep horses safe from infectious disease. This starts by considering isolation techniques for new incoming horses, as well as for those that go out and about to training, events, and races.
Keep tabs on every horse on the property. Know what is normal for each individual and have barn personnel communicate if anything is amiss with a horse’s attitude, appetite, and manure and urine out- put. Anytime something seems out of the ordinary, take the horse’s rectal temperature. Temperatures ex- ceeding 101o F in a horse that isn’t feeling himself is a good reason to isolate the horse until your veterinar- ian determines what is wrong. Many biosecurity rec- ommendations suggest grouping horses by risk (age, breeding, use, health) and in small groups (mares and foals; or traveling horses) so there is efficient contain- ment in the event of a disease outbreak.
Before admitting a new horse to a property, insist on a certificate of veterinary inspection (CVI, which is a health exam and veterinarian-signed certificate) within a few days of entry as well as a negative Cog- gins test for equine infectious anemia (EIA). It is
also prudent to ask for a negative fecal exam prior to moving a horse to the facility and/or that it has been dewormed appropriately in the preceding week or two. A horse – whether as a carrier or one that is incu- bating illness – does not necessarily show overt signs of sickness while still being able to shed disease. Also, ask for the horse’s travel history to check if there have been any disease outbreaks at other venues the horse may have visited. This can be tracked through the
BIOSECURITY
by Nancy S. Loving, DVM
Nancy S. Loving, DVM
116 SPEEDHORSE, January 2020
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