Twenty confirmed cases of equine infectious anemia in the northern Prairies and the Yukon this year make it a good time to review infection control practices for horse operations.
Everyone involved in the horse industry should be concerned with limiting infections, from owners to organizers of equine events.
An outbreak of an infectious disease, also known as swamp fever, could have broader implications than just sick horses. The ensuing reputation damage and rumour mill may be just as problematic.
Infectious diseases in horses range from mild illness to life-threatening, and the treatment options are similarly varied.
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For example, most cases of equine influenza in Canada are mild, with horses experiencing a short bout of fever, poor appetite and nasal discharge. No specific treatment is available, but it is less concerning than a disease such as EIA because most horses recover.
Horses with EIA are either euthanized or quarantined for life to prevent the disease from spreading. No treatments or vaccines are available.
Viruses, bacteria and parasites cause infectious diseases. These germs are invisible to the naked eye, and most are spread by contact between horses or contaminated objects such as water buckets, hay bags and other equipment. Some hitch a ride in mosquitoes, which increases their ability to spread and infect new horses.
Summer months are the busiest time for infectious diseases in horses. Warmer weather brings hordes of germ-spreading mosquitoes and flies.
Most horse events occur in the summer, facilitating the commingling of large groups of horses. There is also a new foal crop, which provides a susceptible group with no previous exposure to infectious agents.
Controlling infectious diseases in horses is mainly an exercise in common sense, but it takes planning to execute effectively.
Ideally, each horse should have its own equipment and these should be cleaned and disinfected regularly.
Whenever possible, prevent contact between your horses and others. This means avoiding nose-touching and sharing of common water troughs and equipment at events.
Avoiding contact with horses that are obviously sick is straightforward, but it is important to keep in mind that many infectious diseases take days or weeks before signs of illness are noticeable. During this time, they could be spreading the infectious agents to other susceptible horses.
This is why vigilantly limiting contact is important and also explains how quarantines work.
New horses to the herd or those that have returned from an event should be isolated from the main group for about three weeks. If these horses picked up an infection before arrival and are incubating a disease, it should show up during this time.
Horses that have signs of illness should not be transported to horse events. Instead, they should be isolated on the farm and examined by a veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment recommendations.
Use separate equipment for horses in quarantine and handle feed and other activities with these horses last. Wash your hands frequently.
Vaccination is a key method for controlling infections in horses, and safe, effective vaccines are available for many important horse diseases, including eastern/western equine encephalitis, rabies, tetanus, West Nile Virus, strangles and herpes.
Horse owners should determine if vaccination for these diseases is appropriate for their herd by consulting with their veterinarian. The veterinarian can provide specific vaccine recommendations based on a horse’s age and risk.
No vaccine or treatment is available for EIA, making the disease especially difficult to manage.
The best defence is to test new horses entering the property. As well, resident horses should be tested at least once a year, and horse event organizers should carefully consider implementing a requirement for a negative Coggins test to limit the risk of the disease spreading at their functions. Competitors can also push for this testing requirement.
For more information, visit Equine Guelph’s YouTube page and talk to a veterinarian.
