Topic:Biosecurity
Biosecurity in horses involves a set of management practices aimed at preventing the introduction and spread of infectious diseases within equine populations. These practices encompass measures such as quarantine protocols, vaccination schedules, sanitation procedures, and the control of animal and human movement on equine facilities. Biosecurity strategies are designed to minimize the risk of disease transmission through direct contact, fomites, vectors, and environmental exposure. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the implementation, effectiveness, and challenges of biosecurity measures in equine management.
Potential for residual contamination by Streptococcus equi subspp equi of endoscopes and twitches used in diagnosis of carriers of strangles. Endoscopic examinations are essential for diagnosis and treatment of strangles (SÂ equi infection) in horses. However, even after disinfection, endoscopes may retain viable bacteria or bacterial DNA. Twitches are commonly used during endoscopic examinations and can thus also potentially transmit the organism to other horses. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of different disinfectant methods to eliminate SÂ equi from experimentally contaminated endoscopes and twitches and the effectiveness of field disinfection of endoscopes used in sampling carriers of SÂ equi. Methods: Experimental contami...
Equine infectious disease surveillance initiatives in the UK. of the Animal Health Trust takes a look at equine infectious disease surveillance initiatives in action in the UK.
Annual booster vaccination and the risk of equine influenza to Thoroughbred racehorses. Equine influenza (EI) outbreaks occurred among horses on four racing yards (two National Hunt, one Flat, one mixed National Hunt racing/breeding yard) in Ireland within a 4-week period. Objective: To carry out a detailed analysis of racing yards affected in order to identify the source of infection and monitor virus spread among a vaccinated population. Methods: Observational field study. Methods: Epidemiological and vaccination data along with repeat clinical samples were collected from 118 horses on four premises. Results: Failure to implement appropriate biosecurity measures following the i...
Not playing by the rules: Unusual patterns in the epidemiology of parasites in a natural population of feral horses (Equus caballus) on Sable Island, Canada. Sable Island, Nova Scotia, Canada hosts one of few natural populations of feral horses (Equus caballus) never exposed to anthelmintics. Coproculture revealed cyathostomes, Strongylus equinus, S. edentatus, and S. vulgaris, with S. equinus (unusually) dominating in adult horses and cyathostomes dominating in young horses (<3 years of age). We examined 35 horses found dead in the springs of 2017 and 2018, as well as fecal samples from live horses in spring (n = 45) and summer 2018 (n = 236) using McMaster fecal flotation and Baermann larval sedimentation on fresh samples, and modified Wiscon...
Biosafety Evaluation of Equine Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells by Systematic Pathogen Screening in Peripheral Maternal Blood and Paired UC-MSCs. The growing interest in mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in equine medicine, together with the development of MSC biobanking for allogeneic use, raises concerns about biosafety of such products. MSCs derived from umbilical cord (UC) carry an inherent risk of contamination by environmental conditions and vertical transmission of pathogens from broodmares. There is yet no report in the scientific literature about horses being contaminated by infected MSC products, and no consensus about systematic infectious screening of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (UC-MSCs) to ensure micro...
Equine Coronavirus-Associated Colitis in Horses: A Retrospective Study. Equine coronavirus (ECoV) is a known cause of fever, anorexia, and lethargy in adult horses. Although there are multiple reports of ECoV outbreaks, less is known about the clinical presentation of individual horses during a nonoutbreak situation. The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical presentation of horses diagnosed with ECoV infection that were not associated with an outbreak. Medical records of all horses admitted to Washington State University, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, during an 8-year period were reviewed (2010-2018). The five horses included in this study were older ...
Risk factors for duration of equine rhinitis A virus respiratory disease. Infectious respiratory disease is common in young horses and can impact athletic performance and long-term health. Significant variation in the duration of clinical disease has been observed, even in the absence of secondary complications. The determination of factors associated with disease chronicity may facilitate clinical decision-making and the development of improved biosecurity protocols. Objective: To investigate contact network characteristics, and demographic variables associated with time to clinical recovery from Equine Rhinitis A virus respiratory disease. Methods: Prospective coh...
Assessment of the application for renewal of authorisation of Biosprint® (Saccharomyces cerevisiae MUCL 39885) for dairy cows and horses. Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the assessment of the application for renewal of authorisation of the product Biosprint ( MUCL 39885) as a feed additive for dairy cows and horses. is considered by EFSA to have qualified presumption of safety (QPS) status. The applicant has provided data demonstrating that the additive currently in the market complies with the conditions of authorisation. The Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) Panel confirms that the use of Biosprint under the current ...
[Equine Infectious Anaemia – a review from an official veterinary perspective]. Equine infectious anaemia (EIA) is a sporadic viral disease in many countries. Every single case has, however, a dramatic impact: infected animals have to be put down, and quarantine restrictions on horse movements lasting three months lead to substantial economic losses. In Switzerland, the mandatory notification was introduced in 1994 in order to facilitate international traffic. A year later, the "new" Ordinance on epizootics of 1995 classified EIA as a "disease to be eradicated". An infected polo horse in the canton of Argovia in summer 2017 thus represented Switzerland's first official ca...
African horse sickness: a potential threat to the UK. The UK has never experienced an outbreak of African horse sickness but, as Matthew Robin of the Fyrnwy Equine Clinic explains, there is still a risk of a case occurring.
Preliminary insight into horse owners’ perceptions of, and attitudes towards, exotic diseases in the United Kingdom. The potential for an exotic disease incursion is a significant concern for the United Kingdom (UK) equine industry. Horse owners' perceptions of, and attitudes towards, exotic diseases can influence decisions to adopt disease preparedness strategies. The objectives of this study were to describe horse owners' 1) perceptions of the term 'exotic disease', and 2) attitudes towards their risk of being affected by an exotic disease. In order to address these objectives, qualitative content analysis was undertaken on data collected using two open-ended survey questions. Results: Horse owners (n =â€...
Prevalence of Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens in Swiss horses with and without gastrointestinal disease and microbiota composition in relation to Clostridium difficile shedding. Overgrowth of enteric clostridia in dysbiosis in horses with colic is presumed but scarcely investigated. The objective was to provide prevalence data of Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens in horses with and without gastrointestinal disease in Switzerland, and investigate microbiota differences between C. difficile shedders and non-shedders. Fecal samples were taken from healthy horses (n = 103), horses with colic (n = 98) and horses with diarrhea (n = 151). Colic horses were sampled on three days. Selective enrichment culture and molecular typing for C. difficile an...
Equine influenza outbreaks in the UK: a practical approach to prevention. With outbreaks of equine influenza continuing to be reported in the UK, Richard Newton and Fleur Whitlock of the Animal Health Trust discusses practical steps that vets can promote and practise to reduce the risk of the virus spreading.
Descriptive analysis of horse movement networks during the 2015 equestrian season in Ontario, Canada. Horses are a highly mobile population, with many travelling locally, nationally, and internationally to participate in shows and sporting events. However, the nature and extent of these movements, as well as the potential impact they may have on disease introduction and spread, is not well documented. The objective of this study was to characterise the movement network of a sample of horses in Ontario, Canada, over a 7-month equestrian season. Horse owners (n = 141) documented their travel patterns with their horse(s) (n = 330) by completing monthly online questionnaires between May and Novemb...
Molecular detection of Streptococcus equi subspecies equi in face flies (Musca autumnalis) collected during a strangles outbreak on a Thoroughbred farm. The objective of this study was to detect Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (S. equi) (Lactobacillales: Streptococcaceae) using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in flies collected from a farm with a documented outbreak of strangles. A total of 1856 face flies [Musca autumnalis (Diptera: Muscidae)] were collected using conventional fly traps. The flies were processed for nucleic acid purification and tested for the presence of S. equi by qPCR. A total of 10/1856 flies (0.54%) tested qPCR-positive for S. equi. The results may implicate the presence of face flies as a risk factor...
Outbreaks of a Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Clone ST398-t011 in a Hungarian Equine Clinic: Emergence of Rifampicin and Chloramphenicol Resistance After Treatment with These Antibiotics. Between July 2011 and May 2016, a total of 40 Staphylococcus aureus strains originating from 36 horses were confirmed as methicillin resistant (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus [MRSA]) in a university equine clinic. An additional 10 MRSA strains from 36 samples of clinic workers were obtained in October 2017. The first equine isolate represented the sequence type ST398, spa-type t011, and SCCmec IV. This isolate was resistant to a wide spectrum of antimicrobial agents. MRSA strains with the same genotype and with very similar resistance profiles were isolated on 21 more occasions fr...
Genetic analysis of Streptococcus equi subsp. equi isolated from horses imported into Japan. Strangles is a commonly diagnosed and important infectious disease of equids worldwide, caused by Streptococcus equi subsp. equi. We determined the SeM genotypes of S. equi isolated from imported horses at the Japanese border within the past 8 years, which allowed us to classify 12 strains isolated from these horses from each exporter into four allelic groups. These alleles were different from the alleles of past isolates found in Japan. Furthermore, four strains classified into the same allele were isolated from horses from one exporter over several years. In this study, S. equi isolates from...
Spatial distribution and risk factors for equine infectious anaemia in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The prevalence of equine infectious anaemia (EIA) in the three biomes of the state of Mato Grosso (Amazon, Cerrado and Pantanal) was estimated. Serum samples were collected from 3,858 equines in 1,067 herds between Septemberand December 2014. The agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) assay was used to detect EIA virus antibodies, and if a herd contained a seropositive animal itwas classified as a focus. The prevalence rates were 17.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 14.9-19.8%) for herds and 6.6% (95% CI: 5.8-7.5%) for animals. The Pantanal region showed the highest prevalence rates: 36.1% (95% CI: 3...
Assessment of the application for renewal of authorisation of Levucell SC (Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-1077) as a feed additive for lambs and horses. Levucell SC is the trade name for a feed additive based on viable cells of a strain . The product is currently authorised for use in feed for horses, lambs, dairy sheep and dairy goats, dairy cows and cattle for fattening. This opinion concerns the renewal of the authorisation of Levucell SC as a zootechnical additive for lambs and horses. is considered by EFSA to be suitable for the qualified presumption of safety (QPS) approach to establishing safety for the target species, consumers and the environment. The identity of the strain present in the additive was established. Accordingly, this s...
Utilizing ticks as forensic indicators in a livestock investigation. Although forensic parasitology remains in its infancy compared with more developed fields like forensic entomology, parasites can be useful forensic indicators. We present the case of an individual who disobeyed animal health legislation and crossed animal quarantine boundaries and two state lines with a cattle tick (Rhipicephalus australis) infested horse. Following recognition of the infestation by animal health officers, the individual asserted that the infestation had occurred either during transport or upon arrival at the site of discovery, and that they had not contravened quarantine leg...
Comparison of the dynamic networks of four equine boarding and training facilities. Contact networks can be analyzed to assess the potential for disease spread throughout the network. The lack of Canadian facility-level equine contact data makes the characterization of the equine contact structure difficult. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to use empirical contact data to characterize and compare equine network characteristics between equine facilities in Ontario. Contact pattern data from 4 equine facilities were collected using radio-frequency identification tags. The collected data were used to form 7 static contact networks (1 for each study day) for each facilit...
Equine Practice on Wound Management: Wound Cleansing and Hygiene. The goal of wound cleansing and care is the control or removal of tissue infection to allow healing in the most functional, cosmetic, fastest, and least expensive manner possible. This is accomplished through the removal of debris and necrotic tissue while reducing the bacterial load via careful use of mechanical techniques and cleaning agents, accepting that some level of tissue trauma will result. Keep in mind that the benefit of a clean wound must be weighed against the trauma inflicted in the process of cleansing. Veterinary health care professionals should take steps to reduce hospital-ac...
Equine piroplasmosis status in the UK: an assessment of laboratory diagnostic submissions and techniques. Equine piroplasmosis (EP) has historically been of minor concern to UK equine practitioners, primarily due to a lack of competent tick vectors. However, increased detection of EP tick vector species in the UK has been reported recently. EP screening is not currently required for equine importation, and when combined with recent relaxations in movement regulations, there is an increased risk regarding disease incursion and establishment into the UK. This study evaluated the prevalence of EP by both serology and PCR among 1242 UK equine samples submitted for EP screening between February and Dec...
Equine Methicillin-Resistant Sequence Type 398 Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Harbor Mobile Genetic Elements Promoting Host Adaptation. Continuing introduction of multi-drug resistant, zoonotic pathogens such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in horse clinics challenges the biosafety of employees and animal patients. This study was aimed to determine the occurrence of mobile genetic elements facilitating survival in the early stages of invasive infection in different host species, including humans and horses, in MRSA carried by equine patients admitted to a large horse clinic. A total of 341 equine patients were investigated for carriage of MRSA by hygiene screening directly at hospital admission. MRSA were...
A longitudinal study describing horse demographics and movements during a competition season in Ontario, Canada. The objective of this study was to describe the demographics and movement patterns of a sample of horses in Ontario, Canada. A convenience sample of 222 owners completed an initial questionnaire to provide demographic information for 570 horses. These horses were enrolled in a longitudinal study to document their movements from May to November 2015 using a monthly questionnaire. The median age of the participating horses was 11 years (IQR: 8 to 16 years). The primary discipline of participating horses included competitive disciplines (63.3%), leisure (33.3%), and racing (3.2%). During the 7-mo...
Novel findings from a beta coronavirus outbreak on an American Miniature Horse breeding farm in upstate New York. This case report describes an outbreak and novel findings associated with a beta coronavirus (BCoV) infection that occurred on an American Miniature Horse (AMH) breeding farm in upstate New York, in January and February of 2013. Twenty-nine AMH and one donkey were present on the farm when the outbreak occurred. One 10-year-old Quarter Horse mare, stabled at a separate location and owned by an employee of the farm, also tested positive. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the detection of BCoV was performed at the Animal Health Diagnostic Center (AHDC) at Cornell on all faecal samples. ...
Frequency of shedding of respiratory pathogens in horses recently imported to the United States. Imported horses that have undergone recent long distance transport might represent a serious risk for spreading infectious respiratory pathogens into populations of horses. Objective: To investigate the frequency of shedding of respiratory pathogens in recently imported horses. Methods: All imported horses with signed owner consent (n = 167) entering a USDA quarantine for contagious equine metritis from October 2014 to June 2016 were enrolled in the study. Methods: Prospective observational study. Enrolled horses had a physical examination performed and nasal secretions collected at the ti...
Using a computer simulation model to examine the impact of biosecurity measures during a facility-level outbreak of equine influenza. On-farm biosecurity measures are an important part of a control plan to minimize the introduction and spread of infectious diseases, such as equine influenza, in an equine facility. It can be challenging, however, to evaluate the efficacy of biosecurity measures under field conditions. We used an agent-based computer simulation model to describe the impact of: i) preventive vaccination; ii) reduced horse-to-horse contact; and iii) a combination of vaccination and reduced contact during an outbreak of equine influenza in a simulated horse facility. The model demonstrated that the most effective...
A study of the environmental survival of Streptococcus equi subspecies equi. Streptococcus equi represents a common hazard to equids worldwide. Environmental contamination with bacteria shed from an infected horse may represent a significant source of contagion and further knowledge of ex vivo bacterial survival under different conditions is important for disinfection and isolation protocols. Objective: To determine the potential duration of survival and vigour of growth of S. equi inoculated onto surfaces relevant to equine veterinary practice and stabling in summer and winter. Methods: Repeat sampling of environmental inocula of S. equi. Methods: Cultures of S. equi ...
[Utilization of selective anthelmintic therapy on horse farms in Germany]. Deworming management is important for a good herd health status in horses. The aim of this study was to present differences between farms using a regular deworming management and a selective anthelmintic therapy approach (SAT), respectively. Methods: An online survey was conducted to identify deworming practices on horse farms. The questionnaire included questions on the number of animals kept on the farm, housing, hygiene, and deworming practices. Results: In total, 283 questionnaires were analyzed. A total of 155 farms used a regular deworming management (RD) and 77 farms used a SAT approach...