The incidence and risk factors for shipping fever in horses transported by air to Hong Kong: Results from a 2-year prospective study.
Abstract: A 2 year prospective study was performed between February 2011 and January 2013 to determine the incidence and risk factors for shipping fever (SF) in horses transported by air to Hong Kong (HK). Using a questionnaire, data were collected from professional flying grooms regarding the journey to HK and horses in the shipment. Horses were monitored in quarantine for 2 weeks after arrival in HK, and clinical signs of SF recorded. Poisson and logistic regression models were used to identify risk factors for SF at the horse and shipment levels. The study analysed data from 869 horses on 81 flights arriving from Australia (n = 24), New Zealand (NZ; n = 18), the United Kingdom (UK; n = 33) and the United States of America (USA; n = 6). The incidence risk of SF was 10.8 per 100 horses and the proportion of shipments with at least one horse that developed SF was 49/81 (60%). The study identified that the rate per shipment of SF in shipments of horses originating from NZ, the USA and the UK was 2.40 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.22-4.71), 2.43 (95% CI 0.66-8.89) and 3.08 (95% CI 1.60-5.93) times the rate of SF compared to Australia. Shipments arriving in HK during March and May were 5.61 (95% CI 1.55-20.31) and 4.51 (95% CI 1.43-14.26) times more likely to contain horses that developed SF compared to shipments arriving in January. The identification of these risk factors and the recognition of at-risk shipments will help focus attention on preventative strategies.
Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Publication Date: 2016-03-07 PubMed ID: 27387724DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2016.01.006Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research article carried out a 2-year study to understand the incidence and risk factors causing shipping fever in horses transported by air to Hong Kong. It found that factors like the country of origin and the time of arrival contributed to the likelihood of shipping fever in horses.
Methodology
- The study was a prospective one conducted over two years between February 2011 and January 2013.
- An exhaustive questionnaire was used to gather data from the flying grooms that accompanied the horses in the shipment. The questionnaire was intended to collect details about the journey to Hong Kong and about the horses in each shipment.
- Upon arrival, the horses were kept under quarantine for monitoring for two weeks. During this period, the study recorded the clinical signs of Shipping Fever (SF) among the horses.
Data Analysis
- Poisson and logistic regression models were employed for identifying risk factors for SF at two levels, horse and shipment.
- The data analysed in this study was taken from 869 horses transported on 81 flights originating from different countries which included Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
Results
- The research discovered an incidence risk of Shipping Fever (SF) to be 10.8 per 100 horses. Also, in 60% of the shipments, or 49 out of 81 flights, at least one horse developed SF.
- Regarding the country of origin, the study found that the rate per shipment of SF in shipments of horses from New Zealand, USA, and the UK was considerably higher than that of Australia.
- Time of arrival also played a crucial role. Shipments that landed in Hong Kong during March and May were significantly more likely to contain horses that developed SF compared to those shipments which arrived in January.
Significance
- Identifying these risk factors aids in recognising shipments that are potentially at high risk.
- Such recognition may assist in focusing on devising preventative strategies to reduce the incidence of shipping fever in horses transported by air to Hong Kong.
Cite This Article
APA
Hurley MJ, Riggs CM, Cogger N, Rosanowski SM.
(2016).
The incidence and risk factors for shipping fever in horses transported by air to Hong Kong: Results from a 2-year prospective study.
Vet J, 214, 34-39.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2016.01.006 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Services, Hong Kong Jockey Club, Sha Tin Racecourse, Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong. Electronic address: michael@equinevetconsultants.com.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Services, Hong Kong Jockey Club, Sha Tin Racecourse, Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong.
- EpiCentre, Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
- EpiCentre, Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
MeSH Terms
- Aircraft
- Animals
- Female
- Hong Kong / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horses
- Incidence
- Male
- Pasteurellosis, Pneumonic / epidemiology
- Pasteurellosis, Pneumonic / microbiology
- Prospective Studies
- Risk Factors
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