The Equine Disease Communication Center has issued announcements concerning newly confirmed cases of vesicular stomatitis virus in Wyoming and has confirmed new cases of strangles in Florida.
Protecting horses from infectious diseases
With reports of newly confirmed infectious horse diseases such as strangles and vesicular stomatitis, horse owners are encouraged to determine the acceptable level of disease risk they are willing to assume for their horse and implement biosecurity measures to reduce disease risk where possible.
In Wyoming two horses at the Central Wyoming College equine center havebeen confirmed as having contracted the vesicular stomatitis virus, sending the facility into quarantine for at least two weeks. Livestock will not be allowed in or out of the equine center during the quarantine. All clinics have been cancelled, and the CWC rodeo team will not work with livestock until the quarantine is lifted.
In St Johns County, Florida, a new strangles case has been confirmed. The horses had been clinical for about one week and another horse had strangles (unreported) in the past according to the reporting veterinarian. Two of the twenty horses on the premise where clinical but all horses were allowed to intermingle in a common pasture. The premise has been placed under quarantine. This is the second case for St. Johns County and the 28th case for Florida.
The Equine Disease Communication Center urges all horse owners to practice good biosecurity messures to prevent the spread of infectious horse diseases.
Biosecurity is a set of preventive measures designed to reduce the risks for introduction and transmission of infectious disease. Infectious disease caused by bacteria and viruses may be brought to and spread at an equine facility by horses, people, domestic animals other than horses, vehicles, equipment, insects, ticks, birds, wildlife including rodents, feed, waste and water.
Disease risks are inherent when horses commingle and travel. Complete elimination of all disease risks for a horse that has contact with horses outside of itâs herdmates is highly unlikely. Horse owners must determine the acceptable level of disease risk they are willing to assume for their horse and implement biosecurity measures to reduce disease risk where possible. Implementing biosecurity measures is an important part in protecting the health of the equine industry.
Biosecurity for horses includes measures that can be taken by the horse owner was well as event managers. Part of a biosecurity plan include disinfection, horse movement, isolation and quarantine, event plans for biosecurity, and risk assessment..