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B IOSECUR I TY
Actions to be taken after returning home from an event
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It is good practice to routinely isolate
horses returning to home premises after
attending equine events, where they
may have acquired an infection and
might act as a source of infection for
resident horses.
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Isolation periods of at least two to three
weeks are required for horses returning
from equine events in order to allow
infections acquired at events to show
as clinical disease.
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The shorter the isolation period, and
the poorer the biosecurity standards
applied, the greater the risk that an
infectious horse may be reintroduced
and that the infection will transfer to
resident horses.
EQUINE MATTERS
22
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The main features of isolation
of returning competitors should
include:
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Physical separation from resident
animals, ideally at distances of greater
than 10 -20 metres. In many cases
existing arrangements can be adapted
so that part of a premises effectively
becomes an isolation area;
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Use of separate dedicated staff and
equipment for isolated and resident
horses to avoid direct transmission
between the groups; if this is not
possible then isolated horses should
always be dealt with after all resident
horses to avoid indirect spread;
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Routine collection and recording of
rectal temperatures and clinical signs
to identify signs of infection as early
as possible;
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Requests made for veterinary
examinations of any horses in isolation
showing clinical signs such as fever,
nasal discharge, cough, incoordination
etc. Ideally laboratory tests should also
be undertaken to determine specific
infectious causes;
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Event organisers should be notified if
an infectious disease is diagnosed in
horses returning from an event as this
will help heighten awareness and in
some circumstances may help prevent
onward transmission from other
infected premises.
Actions to be considered by
event organisers
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Stabling at events should be cleaned
and disinfected between groups of
horses, including feed mangers and
water drinkers. Fresh and un-used
bedding should be provided for new
occupants. It is not good practice to
have stables occupied by multiple
horses without removing bedding and
undertaking cleaning and disinfection
as the stables can harbour infectious
agents and encourage indirect spread
of disease from horse to horse.
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Communal water troughs should be
avoided as these can act as a common
source of infection for multiple horses
simultaneously following contamination
by an infected horse.
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Open access between stables that
allows direct horse to horse contact
should be avoided.
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Consider the use of 'health certification'
by veterinary surgeons such that horses
attending events are 'certified' as
coming from premises with either no
known recent infectious diseases
and/or resident animals without
clinical signs that might be due to
infectious diseases.
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Provision of facilities and personnel
to allow simple pre-event entry health
inspections to be conducted, with
groups of animals showing any
clinical signs of disease at the
pre-event entry inspection being
prevented from entering the event.
Cursory inspection only of animals
after entry into event stabling is not
ideal and should wherever possible
be avoided and replaced with
pre-event entry inspection.
If your horse is infected or has
been exposed, please act
responsibly and avoid moving
the animal until it has been
given the all clear by your vet.
SPRING 2014 ISSUE