The AAEP has updated its Biosecurity Guidelines for 2022. Following is the introduction to the updated guidelines to see the full document, click HERE.
Veterinarian vaccinating a horse
While there are overarching infection control principles which have broad applicability across most diseases and facility types, every equine event and every premises is unique.
© 2013 by Karin Belgrave New window.
The AAEP Biosecurity Guidelines were developed as an instructional resource for equine veterinarians working collaboratively with clients and industry stakeholders to develop and implement biosecurity plans on equine facilities. Biosecurity plans for equine facilities enhance equine health, public health, and business continuity.
Biosecurity for equine facilities includes all practices intended to prevent the introduction and minimize the spread of infectious disease agents in equine populations. Veterinarians often provide services for equids in environments at high-risk of infectious disease introduction and transmission, including veterinary clinics, equine event facilities, and stables where there is frequent movement of equids on and off the premises.
This document will concentrate on biosecurity recommendations for equine events and stables. Several private and university veterinary hospitals have written biosecurity standard operating procedures for their equine veterinary field practice and clinics.
In addition to assisting their clients in developing a biosecurity plan, it is important that the equine veterinarian have a plan to minimize the risk they themselves might pose while providing their professional services.
At all times, the veterinarian should serve as a model citizen of biosecurity by demonstrating practices that protect their patients from infectious disease and educating clients as they develop biosecurity programs for their facilities.
While there are overarching infection control principles which have broad applicability across most diseases and facility types, every equine event and every premises is unique. Therefore, it is important for veterinarians to work with other event and/or facility stakeholders in advance of an urgent issue (i.e., BEFORE an outbreak) to develop plans that are practical and effective for the particular facility in question.
Many people focus on the “outbreak management” aspect of biosecurity, but arguably more important are the day-to-day biosecurity practices that minimize the likelihood of a disease outbreak in the first place or make it easier to quickly contain an outbreak with minimal disruption and expense.
Therefore, a comprehensive biosecurity plan developed collaboratively with an equine veterinarian includes implementing routine preventative protocols that take into consideration all means by which infectious disease could be introduced and spread, as well as developing protocols for responding to confirmed or suspected cases of infectious disease.
The following document provides step-by-step instruction for practitioners striving to develop effective biosecurity and outbreak response protocols for their clients and practices. It is important that protocols be updated regularly on the basis of information gained in the wake of managing a prior incident or new findings pertaining to specific infectious diseases.
Press release by AAEP