Trust the science and vaccinate
Routine preventive care and vaccination are critical for all horses at all stages of life. No matter if the horse travels, lives at a facility where others travel or simply is exposed to other horses across the fence line, the end game is the same—healthy, happy and protected.
Veterinarian vaccinating a horse with help of an aid.
The governing bodies regulating horse shows and large equine events, along with the veterinarians involved, need to have an action plan in place before potential biosecurity events occur.
© 2013 by Karin Belgrave
Although vaccination doesn’t guarantee the prevention of disease, science has shown that it significantly reduces the risk of clinical signs as well as the duration of disease. The AAEP divides vaccinations into coreOpens in a new window and risk-basedOpens in a new window.
Core diseases are those that are endemic, pose a risk of significant harm to a horse and are potentially significant to public health. Core diseases include Eastern equine encephalomyelitis, Western equine encephalomyelitis, tetanus, rabies and West Nile virus. Core EQ Innovator® is the only approved vaccine for horses that covers all five core diseases in a single injection.
Risk-based vaccines that target diseases such as equine rhinopneumonitis (EHV-4/1) and EIV are often chosen based on the nature of commingling, travel and geographic location. Because respiratory viruses are the most common risk-based viruses, most organizations overseeing performance horse events require horses to be vaccinated for EHV-1 and -4 and EIV every 6 months.
In studies, Fluvac Innovator®EHV-4/1 was shown to be highly immunogenic in stimulating a cross-protective titer against all 14 circulating strains of EIV in 2022 and all 66 other influenza strains between 2017 and 2021. These strains were isolated and tested by the World Organization for Animal Health’s reference lab 2,3,4,5,6,7
Important note: The AAEP recommends that all horses get vaccinated 2 to 3 weeks prior to traveling.
Improving biosecurity through heightened communication
The transmission of information is essential for effective outcomes. The governing bodies regulating horse shows and large equine events, along with the veterinarians involved, need to have an action plan in place before potential biosecurity events occur. Like COVID-19, social and economic impacts are at risk. Alternating perspectives of all parties involved can often make a plan of action difficult to execute.
On the management side, show owners may not want to lose entry money or make it publicly known that there may be a biosecurity threat at their show. It’s not good for business. Trainers and owners may be hesitant to inform others of their sick horses out of fear that they’ll be blamed as the source of disease transmission.
Many febrile horses are treated by trainers, sometimes for days before getting a veterinarian involved. Veterinarians may feel obligated to protect their clients and have a mindset that if a horse is already shedding a virus, he’s already shed to neighboring horses at this point. All these mindsets are a recipe for disaster.
As veterinarians, professionals and experts in the equine field, it’s our duty not only to treat these horses but also to communicate potential threats to the community. It’s our responsibility to have these difficult conversations. Sometimes I think we don’t give our little horse world enough credit. I saw firsthand, as many of you would probably agree, a quick moment of panic followed by a huge support network around the outbreak.
Let’s applaud the horse show for releasing a public statement and being forthcoming. Let’s applaud the staff who rallied together to create a safe and healthy quarantine. Let’s create a mindset that applauds individuals openly communicating and proactively working to contain outbreaks!
Let’s also give a huge shoutout to the EDCCOpens in a new window, whose sole purpose is to help track equine outbreaks and improve the welfare of horses by communicating real-time alerts across the country. Click on their link above to sign up for notifications.
Horses that travel: spread the word, not the disease
Most horse owners travel with their horses at some point during the year. After all, most horses are part of the family, and for equestrian enthusiasts, some of the best vacations are spent at events accompanied by their horses. The following are simple guidelines you can share with your clients when traveling:
• Be up to date on all core and risk-based vaccinations
• Provide proof of a negative Coggins test within the last year (6 months for some states/events)
• Have a current certificate of veterinary inspection, required for interstate travel
• Run a Stablelab® EQ-1 Handheld Reader SAAOpens in a new window stall-side test to assess whether there are no early indicators of infection (before and after the show)
• Ensure manure is removed and the stall is cleaned and disinfected prior to unloading a horse from his trailer to enter the show barns
• Take your horse’s temperature upon arrival at an event, twice daily during an event and at departure
• Do not share tack, cleaning or grooming equipment
• Minimize nose-to-nose contact, including avoiding sharing rags to wipe horses’ faces
• Isolate your horse for 2 to 3 weeks when returning from an event and monitor for any signs of disease
• If a horse is coming from a previously infected farm or event, a nasopharyngeal swab and culture may be warranted
• Communicate with your veterinarian if your horse(s) show any signs of infectious disease or if other horses at the event are reported febrile
In the face of an outbreak
Shut down a horse show or training barn for a week? Wait, what?!
In the event you’re faced with a potential outbreak, setting up proper isolation depends on the capabilities of the property. Most farms and events have the ability to isolate horses. For those that can’t, implementing things such as foot baths, personnel protocols, proper ventilation and human hygiene when working with horses is imperative. Some events have a biosecurity and outbreak plan in place that can be found by contacting show management.
Open communication with event staff, show officials and other veterinarians from the beginning of a potential outbreak helps reduce the number of horses exposed and disease transmission.
The AAEP has an extensive and resourceful link on its recommended biosecurity guidelines This links to a pdf file that opens in a new window.
Many governing bodies of horse shows also offer informative guidelines on biosecurity.
The need to rethink potential impact
No one around the world grasped just how large the impact of Covid-19 would be. Beyond the enormous human and economic impact, the pandemic exposed the weaknesses of organizations, lack of preparedness and poor response of health care systems. The virus inflicted carnage across the world, as did EIV at the large horse show I was officiating at, with dozens of horses, trainers, owners and businesses affected.
Currently, outbreaks of more devastating diseases such as equine herpesvirus, equine herpes myeloencephalitis and strangles continue to populate our newsfeeds and social media. In the future, the equine community may be confronted with other viruses whose combination of virulence, transmissibility and other characteristics pose even greater danger.
Sometimes biosecurity measures get neglected. We underestimate the potential impact on our horses’ health, along with the economic impacts on owners and the industry. The necessary measures continue to require leadership, time, education, routine preventive care and public awareness.
Press release by Zoetis - Article by Holly J Helbig, DVM, Equine Technical Services Veterinarian, Zoetis
References
1. American Association of Equine Practitioners. Equine influenza guidelines. DiseaseFactsheet_EquineInfluenza_FINAL-Cobranded.pdf (aaep.org)This links to a pdf fileOpens in a new window. Accessed September 15, 2023.
2. Zoetis Inc. Data on file. Study report no. 23EQRGBIO-01-01.
3. Zoetis Inc. Data on file. Study report no. 671-08-004.R
4. Zoetis Inc. Data on file. Study report no. 21EQRGBIO-01-02.
5. Dilai, M, et al., Vet Microbiol, 2018 (v1.0). Serological investigation of racehorse vaccination against equine influenza in Morocco. Veterinary Microbiology. 223. 2018. 153-159.
6. Zoetis Inc. Data on file. Study report no. 22EQRGBIO-01-01.
7. Zoetis Inc. Data on file. Study report no. 18EQRGBIO-01-02.
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