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Home / Equine Research Bank / Can Vet J / A cluster of trace-concentration methamphetamine identificat...
The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne2016; 57(8); 860-864;

A cluster of trace-concentration methamphetamine identifications in racehorses associated with a methamphetamine-contaminated horse trailer: A report and analysis.

Abstract: Three low concentration methamphetamine "positive" tests were linked to use of a methamphetamine-contaminated trailer to transport the affected horses. This incident establishes methamphetamine as a human-use substance that can inadvertently enter the environment of racing horses, resulting in urinary methamphetamine "positives;" an interim regulatory cut-off of 15 ng/mL for methamphetamine in post-race urine is proposed. Trois tests «positifs» de faibles concentrations de méthamphétamine ont été associés à l’utilisation d’une remorque contaminée par les méthamphétamines qui était utilisée pour transporter les chevaux affectés. Cet incident établit la méthamphétamine comme une substance à utilisation humaine qui peut pénétrer par inadvertance dans le milieu des chevaux de course, entainant ainsi des tests d’urine «positifs»; un niveau intérimaire réglementaire de 15 ng/mL pour les méthamphétamines est proposé pour les tests d’urine après la course.(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).
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Publication Date: 2016-08-06 PubMed ID: 27493286PubMed Central: PMC4944564
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research shows that three racehorses tested positive for low levels of methamphetamine due to their exposure from a contaminated trailer. The study proposes a temporary regulation of a 15 ng/mL methamphetamine limit in post-race horse urine tests, to account for environmental contamination.

Understanding the Methamphetamine Contamination Problem

  • The researchers discovered that racehorses could test positive for methamphetamine, a drug typically used by humans, through environmental exposure.
  • Three instances of low-concentration methamphetamine ‘positives’ were traced back to a contaminated horse trailer. This suggests that racehorses could test positive for the drug without actual ingestion, but merely through exposure in their environment.

Proposed Regulatory Measures

  • In light of their findings, the authors of the study recommend the adoption of an interim regulatory cut-off level for methamphetamine in post-race horse urine tests.
  • This proposed cut-off level is 15 ng/mL. It is designed to account for the possibility of accidental exposure to methamphetamine in the environment, rather than actual consumption by the horse.

Implications for the Horse Racing Industry

  • This research underscores the need for stringent regulations and careful environment control in the horse racing industry.
  • It also illustrates how human-use substances can inadvertently make their way into the bodies of racehorses, resulting in potential false positive drug tests.
  • Further research and monitoring may be necessary to identify other common sources of environmental contamination and to refine drug testing thresholds accordingly.

Cite This Article

APA
Brewer K, Shults TF, Machin J, Kudrimoti S, Eisenberg RL, Hartman P, Wang C, Fenger C, Beaumier P, Tobin T. (2016). A cluster of trace-concentration methamphetamine identifications in racehorses associated with a methamphetamine-contaminated horse trailer: A report and analysis. Can Vet J, 57(8), 860-864.

Publication

The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne
ISSN: 0008-5286
NlmUniqueID: 0004653
Country: Canada
Language: English
Volume: 57
Issue: 8
Pages: 860-864

Researcher Affiliations

Brewer, Kimberly
  • 1711 Lakefield North Court, Wellington, Florida 33414, USA (Brewer); American Association of Medical Review Officers, 17 Running Brook Ct., Durham, North Carolina 27713, USA (Shults); Frontier BioPharm, PO Box 614, Richmond, Kentucky 40476, USA (Eisenberg); Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546, USA (Kudrimoti, Machin, Tobin); Equine Integrated Medicine, PLC 4904 Ironworks Road, Georgetown, Kentucky 40324, USA (Fenger); Industrial Laboratories, 4046 Youngfield Street, Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033, USA (Hartman, Wang); CanAlt Health Labs, 242 Applewood, Unit 3, Vaughan, Ontario (Beaumier).
Shults, Theodore F
  • 1711 Lakefield North Court, Wellington, Florida 33414, USA (Brewer); American Association of Medical Review Officers, 17 Running Brook Ct., Durham, North Carolina 27713, USA (Shults); Frontier BioPharm, PO Box 614, Richmond, Kentucky 40476, USA (Eisenberg); Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546, USA (Kudrimoti, Machin, Tobin); Equine Integrated Medicine, PLC 4904 Ironworks Road, Georgetown, Kentucky 40324, USA (Fenger); Industrial Laboratories, 4046 Youngfield Street, Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033, USA (Hartman, Wang); CanAlt Health Labs, 242 Applewood, Unit 3, Vaughan, Ontario (Beaumier).
Machin, Jacob
  • 1711 Lakefield North Court, Wellington, Florida 33414, USA (Brewer); American Association of Medical Review Officers, 17 Running Brook Ct., Durham, North Carolina 27713, USA (Shults); Frontier BioPharm, PO Box 614, Richmond, Kentucky 40476, USA (Eisenberg); Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546, USA (Kudrimoti, Machin, Tobin); Equine Integrated Medicine, PLC 4904 Ironworks Road, Georgetown, Kentucky 40324, USA (Fenger); Industrial Laboratories, 4046 Youngfield Street, Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033, USA (Hartman, Wang); CanAlt Health Labs, 242 Applewood, Unit 3, Vaughan, Ontario (Beaumier).
Kudrimoti, Sucheta
  • 1711 Lakefield North Court, Wellington, Florida 33414, USA (Brewer); American Association of Medical Review Officers, 17 Running Brook Ct., Durham, North Carolina 27713, USA (Shults); Frontier BioPharm, PO Box 614, Richmond, Kentucky 40476, USA (Eisenberg); Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546, USA (Kudrimoti, Machin, Tobin); Equine Integrated Medicine, PLC 4904 Ironworks Road, Georgetown, Kentucky 40324, USA (Fenger); Industrial Laboratories, 4046 Youngfield Street, Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033, USA (Hartman, Wang); CanAlt Health Labs, 242 Applewood, Unit 3, Vaughan, Ontario (Beaumier).
Eisenberg, Rodney L
  • 1711 Lakefield North Court, Wellington, Florida 33414, USA (Brewer); American Association of Medical Review Officers, 17 Running Brook Ct., Durham, North Carolina 27713, USA (Shults); Frontier BioPharm, PO Box 614, Richmond, Kentucky 40476, USA (Eisenberg); Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546, USA (Kudrimoti, Machin, Tobin); Equine Integrated Medicine, PLC 4904 Ironworks Road, Georgetown, Kentucky 40324, USA (Fenger); Industrial Laboratories, 4046 Youngfield Street, Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033, USA (Hartman, Wang); CanAlt Health Labs, 242 Applewood, Unit 3, Vaughan, Ontario (Beaumier).
Hartman, Petra
  • 1711 Lakefield North Court, Wellington, Florida 33414, USA (Brewer); American Association of Medical Review Officers, 17 Running Brook Ct., Durham, North Carolina 27713, USA (Shults); Frontier BioPharm, PO Box 614, Richmond, Kentucky 40476, USA (Eisenberg); Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546, USA (Kudrimoti, Machin, Tobin); Equine Integrated Medicine, PLC 4904 Ironworks Road, Georgetown, Kentucky 40324, USA (Fenger); Industrial Laboratories, 4046 Youngfield Street, Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033, USA (Hartman, Wang); CanAlt Health Labs, 242 Applewood, Unit 3, Vaughan, Ontario (Beaumier).
Wang, Caroline
  • 1711 Lakefield North Court, Wellington, Florida 33414, USA (Brewer); American Association of Medical Review Officers, 17 Running Brook Ct., Durham, North Carolina 27713, USA (Shults); Frontier BioPharm, PO Box 614, Richmond, Kentucky 40476, USA (Eisenberg); Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546, USA (Kudrimoti, Machin, Tobin); Equine Integrated Medicine, PLC 4904 Ironworks Road, Georgetown, Kentucky 40324, USA (Fenger); Industrial Laboratories, 4046 Youngfield Street, Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033, USA (Hartman, Wang); CanAlt Health Labs, 242 Applewood, Unit 3, Vaughan, Ontario (Beaumier).
Fenger, Clara
  • 1711 Lakefield North Court, Wellington, Florida 33414, USA (Brewer); American Association of Medical Review Officers, 17 Running Brook Ct., Durham, North Carolina 27713, USA (Shults); Frontier BioPharm, PO Box 614, Richmond, Kentucky 40476, USA (Eisenberg); Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546, USA (Kudrimoti, Machin, Tobin); Equine Integrated Medicine, PLC 4904 Ironworks Road, Georgetown, Kentucky 40324, USA (Fenger); Industrial Laboratories, 4046 Youngfield Street, Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033, USA (Hartman, Wang); CanAlt Health Labs, 242 Applewood, Unit 3, Vaughan, Ontario (Beaumier).
Beaumier, Pierre
  • 1711 Lakefield North Court, Wellington, Florida 33414, USA (Brewer); American Association of Medical Review Officers, 17 Running Brook Ct., Durham, North Carolina 27713, USA (Shults); Frontier BioPharm, PO Box 614, Richmond, Kentucky 40476, USA (Eisenberg); Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546, USA (Kudrimoti, Machin, Tobin); Equine Integrated Medicine, PLC 4904 Ironworks Road, Georgetown, Kentucky 40324, USA (Fenger); Industrial Laboratories, 4046 Youngfield Street, Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033, USA (Hartman, Wang); CanAlt Health Labs, 242 Applewood, Unit 3, Vaughan, Ontario (Beaumier).
Tobin, Thomas
  • 1711 Lakefield North Court, Wellington, Florida 33414, USA (Brewer); American Association of Medical Review Officers, 17 Running Brook Ct., Durham, North Carolina 27713, USA (Shults); Frontier BioPharm, PO Box 614, Richmond, Kentucky 40476, USA (Eisenberg); Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546, USA (Kudrimoti, Machin, Tobin); Equine Integrated Medicine, PLC 4904 Ironworks Road, Georgetown, Kentucky 40324, USA (Fenger); Industrial Laboratories, 4046 Youngfield Street, Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033, USA (Hartman, Wang); CanAlt Health Labs, 242 Applewood, Unit 3, Vaughan, Ontario (Beaumier).

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Doping in Sports
  • Horses / urine
  • Methamphetamine / urine
  • Transportation

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Citations

This article has been cited 4 times.
  1. Waller P, Lomnicka I, Lucas C, Johnson S, Dirikolu L. The medication violations in racehorses at Louisiana racetracks from 2016 to 2020. Vet Med Sci 2022 Mar;8(2):553-560.
    doi: 10.1002/vms3.724pubmed: 34989156google scholar: lookup
  2. Kuhn EJ, Walker GS, Wright J, Whiley H, Ross KE. Public health challenges facing Environmental Health Officers during COVID-19: methamphetamine contamination of properties. Aust N Z J Public Health 2021 Feb;45(1):9-12.
    doi: 10.1111/1753-6405.13067pubmed: 33460218google scholar: lookup
  3. Maylin G, Fenger C, Machin J, Kudrimoti S, Eisenberg R, Green J, Tobin T. Aminorex identified in horse urine following consumption of Barbarea vulgaris; a preliminary report. Ir Vet J 2019;72:15.
    doi: 10.1186/s13620-019-0153-5pubmed: 31890155google scholar: lookup
  4. Kuhn EJ, Walker GS, Whiley H, Wright J, Ross KE. Household Contamination with Methamphetamine: Knowledge and Uncertainties. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019 Nov 23;16(23).
    doi: 10.3390/ijerph16234676pubmed: 31771211google scholar: lookup
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