Equine Health Issues

On November 18, 2011 the President signed the FY 2012 USDA appropriations bill (H.R. 2112) this bill provides funding for the USDA for the 2012 fiscal year (October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012) and contains several provisions of interest to the horse industry. The bill also included a Continuing Resolution (CR) that funded other government activities through December 16, 2011 and contained a provision concerning a new H-2B temporary worker program wage rule opposed by the AHC.     Background

On September 7, 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) adopted the final rule amending the regulatory protections provided under the Commercial Transport of Equines to Slaughter Act (the Act) to horses bound for slaughter. The final rule changes extend the same regulatory protections to horses transported to intermediate points, such as assembly points, feedlots, or stockyards, as those shipped directly to slaughter.  The proposed rule changes were published on November 7, 2007, and the final rule changes went into effect on October 7, 2011.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposed new requirements for importing horses from countries that are affected by contagious equine metritis (CEM).

In February 2010, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) replaced its proposed National Animal Identification System (NAIS) with the Animal Disease Traceability Program (ADTP).

Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1) infection in horses can cause respiratory disease, abortion in mares, neonatal foal death, and/or neurologic disease.  The neurologic form of EHV-1 is called Equine Herpes Virus Myeloencephalopathy (EHM).  While EHV-1 and EHM are only officially listed as reportable diseases in some states, private veterinary practitioners are encouraged to notify their state animal health officials of any suspected or confirmed cases, regardless of current official state reporting requirements.  Background

Equine Piroplasmosis (EP) is classified as a foreign animal disease (FAD) not endemic in the U.S.  Regulations requiring the testing of all horses entering the U.S. to determine their EP status have been in place for many years.  EP occurs in Africa, Europe, Asia, South and Central America. The tick vectors that spread the disease exist in the United States.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requested comments on strategies to address the amount of animal drug products currently marketed in the U.S. without approval or other legal marketing status.  The FDA is concerned that the safety and effectiveness of these actively-marketed products has not been demonstrated.  The purpose of FDA’s initiative was to request comments on approaches for increasing the number of legally-marketed animal drug products. Background

Contagious Equine Metritis (CEM) is a transmissible, exotic venereal disease in horses caused by a bacteria Taylorella equigenitalis. A CEM infection usually results in infertility in mares and, on rare occasions, can cause mares to spontaneously abort.  Infected stallions exhibit no clinical signs.   Stallions and mares can become chronic carriers of CEM and be sources of infection for future outbreaks.

Introduction Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA) is a contagious disease of horses caused by the equine arteritis virus (EAV).  The disease does not usually kill healthy adult horses, but it can kill young foals and cause pregnant mares to abort.  In stallions, the disease can result in the establishment of a carrier state whereby they can continue to spread the virus.  

Visit AHC's page for more infomation on the National Equine Health Plan

For more information on equine health and diseases, visit USDA's Equine Health Monitoring & Surveillance web site