EQUINE | Equine Disease Update
Infectious
Disease Control
Article reprinted from The Horse, March 2017, page 25. The
Horse is published by The Horse Media Group LLC.
Maureen Gallatin ;
Stacey Oke,DVM MSC
Preventing, Controlling Infectious
Disease No Easy Feat
J
osie Traub-Dargatz, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, of
Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary
Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, is the equine com-
modity specialist for the Center of Epidemiology and
Animal Health at the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service. She spearheaded the latest National
Animal Health Monitoring Survey, Equine 2015.
Traub-Dargatz emphasized the importance of tailoring
a biosecurity protocol to the unique aspects of each
equine operation and implementing those disease con-
trol strategies carefully.
“Biosecurity practices for controlling infection are only
as effective as the weakest link in their implementation,”
she said. “If nine out of 10 equine care providers wash
their hands when moving between segregated horses,
the one provider who does not wash their hands can
introduce or spread pathogens (diseasecausing organ-
isms) even though the other nine providers (did follow
protocol).”
Traub-Dargatz encouraged veterinarians to set a posi-
tive example for other equine care providers by consis-
tently practicing appropriate hygiene protocols, even in
times of health.
She recommended various options for infectious dis-
ease prevention and control. At the top of that list: vac-
cinating at-risk horses per AAEP vaccination guidelines.
She also emphasized how horse owners, farm manag-
ers, and event organizers should support and trust their
veterinarians as important sources of information.
Veterinarians and scientists have developed several in-
fectious disease control manuals and toolkits based o n
lessons learned during previous disease outbreaks (such
as Equine Guelph’s biosecurity risk calculator and the
Equine Biosecurity Toolkit for Equine Events). But infec-
tious disease outbreaks are still occurring.
Despite best-laid plans, infectious and contagious dis-
ease will occur in certain groups of horses (e.g., stressed,
traveling, and commingling with others regularly).
• Volume 19 no 2 • June 2017 •
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