Download Biosecurity on the Horse Farm

Biosecurity on the
Horse Farm
INAG 120 – Equine Health
Management
December 7, 2011
Group Discussion
1. How do diseases spread?
2. What biosecurity/farm management
practices would you put into place on
your horse farm?
How Do Diseases Spread?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Air
Living animals of the same species
Living animals of other species
Dead or sick animals
Feed
Water
Movement of contaminated personnel,
equipment and vehicles
8. Movement of effluent between properties
Control of Infectious
Diseases
 The plan for infection control entails two main
components
 Avoid or minimize exposure
 Optimize resistance
 Vaccination
 Optimize overall health care
 Areas to consider
 Nutrition and training/exercise schedule
 Ventilation and airflow in stabling area
 Insect control
 Deworming schedule
Equine Disease Control Program
1. Optimize health and nutrition plans for
animals
2. Use rodent, parasite and vector control
programs throughout the year
3. Do not allow horse access to streams
and waterways
4. Contract with a veterinarian and clearly
post their contact information
Equine Disease Control Program
5. Communication is key
6. Limit human access to barns if they are
not clientele or workers
7. Clean and disinfect barns, stalls and
equipment regularly
8. Discard all manure and bedding from
stalls that house sick horses
How do we control
disease?
 Vaccinations
 Farm Management
Horse Lifestyles – Pasture
Potatoes!
Breeding
Showing and trail-riding
Risk of Disease
 Varies by type of horse population!
 Some horses predisposed to disease if
exposed:
 Foals, old horses
 Problems with digestive function
 Drug treatments
 Situations can increase risk of exposure
 Comingling with other horses
 Exposure to insects
Controlling Infectious
Diseases

Two main components:
1. Avoid or minimize exposure
2. Optimize resistance
•
•
•
Vaccination
Optimize overall health care
Other
Minimize transport stress
and optimize ventilation and
nutrition
Insect Control
Examples and Methods of
Exposure
Method of Exposure
Other Horses
Environment
People and things
that move with
them
Equine events,
new arrivals,
visiting horses
Feed, water,
stabling, trailers,
insects
Horse caretakers,
veterinarians,
farriers
What are your options?
 Not as easy as ONLY vaccinating
 Risk aversion of the operation or horse
owner?
 All will come at some cost!
Options for managing risk
posed by horse contact
 Establish health requirements for visiting
horses
 Establish health requirements for new
arrivals
 Horses returning after an event?
 Isolation/monitoring of new arrivals
 Segregation by risk level
 Monitoring for illness + plan of action
Examples of Health
Requirements
 Certificate of veterinary inspection (health
certificate)
 Timing of exam vs. arrival of horse?
 Ask about past medical history
 Illness in this horse or others it has been around
 Examine horse when it arrives
 Test for infection
 Coggins test
 Others (i.e., screening for strangles)
Isolation of New Arrivals
 Adequate facilities?
 Adequate equipment?
 Enough personnel?
 All must be present to
ensure good infection
control!
Facilities
 Separated from other horses for (ideally)
a minimum of 3 weeks
 How far apart?
 Distances diseases travel not established
 “35 feet” rule for neurological herpes virus?
 Management
 Separate equipment
 Do new horses last
Where does the drain go?
What if facilities or schedules
don’t allow isolation?
 Group horses according to use/exposure
potential
 Commingled horses are of equal status –
exposure WILL happen between them
Keep number of horses per
group as small as possible
Minimize contact between
groups
Communication with staff!
 Make sure they know
the rules!
 Language barriers?
 Signage
Spread of disease can
happen easily!
Visitors and employees?
 Ask! Especially if there is a current
disease outbreak in the area
 Use good hygiene methods
 Have a plan in case of outbreak
Consider all means of
disease transmission
 Route of exposure? Can you control it?
Insects, rodents, other
animals!
Early detection is key
 Determine cause of disease
 Allows you to develop a control plan
 Isolate ill horse(s) at first sign of disease
 DO NOT MOVE EXPOSED HORSES
 Until you have determined they don’t pose a
risk to unexposed horses
 Monitor exposed horses for illness
Facility Design
 Think about infection
control before you
build
 Alleyways
 High traffic areas
 Treatment areas
(stocks, wash stall,
etc.)
 Ease of cleaning
 Can it be isolated?
Traffic patterns
 People, animals,
vehicles





Farm personnel
Veterinarians
Farriers
Visitors
Horse owners (boarders)
 Wheel barrows, trucks, trailers, tractors, 4wheelers, etc.