The epidemiology of contagious equine metritis (CEM) in England 1977–1978).

The research article discusses the outbreak of a horse disease called Contagious Equine Metritis (CEM) in England during 1977-78 and the measures that were taken to control this disease, including implementing a hygiene improvement code of practice and a bacteriological screening program for horses.

Introduction

• The article commences with the incidence of an outbreak of contagious equine metritis (CEM), a transmissible horse disease, in England in 1977.
• In order to curb the disease, a Code of Practice was introduced in 1978, which involved greater hygiene standards in stud farms where horses are bred.

Bacteriological Screening Programme

• The Code also advocated for a bacteriological screening programme for Thoroughbred mares and stallions.
• This programme helped identify a number of asymptomatic carrier mares, which are mares that do not show any external symptoms but are carriers of the disease, thereby potentially spreading it further.

Treatment of Infected Stallions

• The stallions that were known to have transmitted CEM in 1977 underwent treatment.
• Post-treatment, these stallions did not transmit the disease during the subsequent 1978 season, signifying their effective recovery from the disease and a prevention of further spread.

Outbreaks Post-Implementation of the Code

• Despite the introduction of the Code of Practice and the measures it mandated, two small outbreaks of CEM were reported during the 1978 breeding season.
• Details regarding these outbreaks, the response, and their potential cause are not provided in the abstract and presumably are discussed further within the research article.