The American Horse Council (AHC) addressed the issue of Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA) and its continuing economic impact on U. S. horse owners by working with its member organizations to develop a protocol intended to assist horse owners in preventing establishment of the carrier state of equine arteritis virus in stallions and minimize the risk of EVA-related abortion in mares.
The protocol is a voluntary, industry-driven program of identification and classification of equine arteritis carrier stallions and infective semen so that either may be used without attendant risk of the occurrence of EVA.
Because of the potential economic threat posed by EVA, adoption of the protocol by breeders as part of good breeding practice is recommended by the American Horse Council's EVA Working Group. The protocol provides a practical, realistic and unified approach that permits the continued use of carrier stallions or infective semen.
Such an initiative has already been taken by some breed registries. The North American Department of the Warmblood Studbook of the Netherlands, for instance, has instituted a requirement that in order for foals to be eligible for registration each stallion must be tested for EVA and the results published in the annual directory. Owners are provided with a protocol that allows for the continued use of carrier stallions and effectively protects mares against the disease. Although the protocol was initially implemented on a voluntary basis, membership response for the initiative was so favorable that it is now a mandatory program. As an additional protection, the Registry requires that frozen semen imported into the U.S. for resale in this country be tested for EVA at the Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky.
As the EVA protocol was developed it was presented and discussed earlier this year at all four regional meetings of the U. S. Animal Health Association (USAHA), a national organization of industry and state and federal animal health officials. The final version was then presented at the annual meeting of the USAHA. At that time, the American Horse Council requested the assistance of the USAHA in launching this non-mandated program. The AHC initiative was received favorably although some states may need to adjust regulatory requirements so that the protocol may be used by horse owners and breeders without conflict with current state regulations. Those interested in using the protocol should work with their state veterinarian's office to ensure compliance with existing regulations.
Increasingly, outbreaks of EVA in the U.S. have been linked to either imported equine arteritis virus shedding stallions ("shedder stallions") or imported infective semen and the protocol developed by the American Horse Council's EVA working group will now serve as a basis for establishing controls over the importation of EVA carrier stallions and infective semen.
At the USAHA meeting in October, 1997, it was noted that the U.S. is the only major horse breeding country that does not have any import requirements for equine arteritis virus. A resolution, brought forward from the American Horse Council, was adopted urging the USDA to work cooperatively with the states and the horse industry to establish a system for identifying and classifying EVA carrier stallions and infective semen when presented for importation into the U.S.
While the current policy is unacceptable because of the economic
risk to horse owners, there is no justification - scientific or
economic - for prohibiting the importation of carrier stallions or
infective semen. What would unquestionably help in the effort to
reduce clinical occurrence of EVA in the U.S. and prevent economic
losses to the horse breeding industry is the knowledge of the true EVA
status of a stallion or his semen at the time of importation. It is
this that the American Horse Council is working to address with the
states and staff at the USDA.
Current Status
Please see Equine Viral Arteritis Update-March 24, 2000Equine Viral Arteritis Update March 24, 2000
More Information
Questions regarding the protocol or this initiative should be directed to Amy W. Mann at the AHC offices, 202-296-4031.
For more information on EVA and other equine health issues please visit United States Department of Agriculture's APHIS and American Association of Equine Practitioners web sites.
Copyright © 2000 the American Horse Council.