"Horse's Health Issues and Information"          

• Horse Owners Reminded to Take Precautions Against Rabies
  LANSING-The Michigan departments of Agriculture, Natural Resources and
  Community Health  (more)

• AAEP Releases Updated Equine Vaccination Guidelines

  January 24, 2008

  The Infectious Disease Committee of the American Association of Equine Practitioners has issued revised guidelines for the administration of vaccinations to horses.  The Committee, chaired by Mary Scollay, DVM, has made recommendations for the use of vaccines based on the age of the horse and its previous vaccination history.  The guidelines are intended to serve as a reference for veterinarians as they employ vaccines in their respective practices.

  Highlights of “Guidelines for the Vaccination of Horses” include:

  ·     The identification of tetanus, Eastern/Western Equine Encephalomyelitis, West Nile virus and rabies as “core” vaccines.  Core vaccines have clearly demonstrated efficacy and safety, and exhibit a high enough level of patient benefit and low enough level of risk to justify their use in the majority of patients.

  ·      The addition of a vaccination protocol for anthrax.

  ·      Recommendations for the storage and handling of vaccines, as well as information on vaccine labeling and adverse reactions.

  ·      Inclusion of the AAEP’s Infectious Disease Control Guidelines, which provide an action plan for the containment of infectious disease during an outbreak.

  The Committee stresses that veterinarians, through an appropriate veterinarian-client-patient relationship, should use the vaccination guidelines coupled with available products to determine the best professional care for their patients.  Horse owners should consult with a licensed veterinarian before initiating a vaccination program. 

  “The goal of the guidelines is to provide current information that will enable veterinarians and clients to make thoughtful and educated decisions on vaccinating horses in their care,” explained Dr. Scollay.  “The vaccination schedules are complemented by supporting information on topics including vaccine technology and disease risk-assessment, allowing veterinarians to customize vaccination programs specific to the needs of an individual horse or group of horses.  The impact of infectious disease has been felt across the equine industry in recent years, and the Committee hopes that these guidelines will be a useful tool in preventing or mitigating the effects of equine infectious disease.” 

  The Committee, comprised of researchers, vaccine manufacturers and private practitioners, updated guidelines that were established by the AAEP in 2001.

  The complete document, along with easy reference charts, is available on the AAEP Web site at http://www.aaep.org/vaccination_guidelines.htm.

  The American Association of Equine Practitioners, headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, was founded in 1954 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the health and welfare of the horse.  Currently, the AAEP reaches more than 5 million horse owners through its 9,000 members worldwide and is actively involved in ethics issues, practice management, research and continuing education in the equine veterinary profession and horse industry.

   

• FREE - MSU - CVM Equine lecture
  Joint problems and arthritis are common diseases in horses,” says Rob van Wessum, equine clinician at the MSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital and the McPhail Equine Performance Center. 

  This seminar will provide an overall view of joint function and treatments for joint problems. Topics to be discussed include when joint injections are appropriate and when other treatment methods may be better.

  “A lot of people do preventive treatment with joint injections-we will discuss whether this is necessary,” says van Wessum.

  Drs. Kimberly Johnston and Kelly Sovey, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, will join Dr. van Wessum in the lecture and will be available to answer questions during the break and after the lecture.

  Maps and Directions to MSU:   http://www.msu.edu/maps/index.html

   

• LANSING - The Michigan Department of Agriculture today urged Michigan pet owners to take a few simple steps to ensure the safety of their companion animals during an emergency situation as part of National Preparedness Month.
  
  Pet ownership is the number one reason for human evacuation failure because people are not willing to leave their pets behind, said Dr. Steven Halstead, state veterinarian. Additionally, people are more likely to re-enter an unsafe evacuation area to rescue their pets.
  
  To help keep pets healthy and safe during an emergency, pet owners are encouraged to take the following steps:
  
  Step 1. Prepare a portable emergency kit for your pets. This kit should include:
  *  portable carrier
  *  collar, leash or harness
  *  food and bottled water
  *  pet waste supplies
  *  medical records and medications
  *  identification on pet with phone number
  *  photo of owner and pet
  
  Step 2.  Ensure a pet-friendly evacuation destination by arranging emergency shelter plans ahead of time with friends or family living outside of your area.
  
  Step 3.  Create a buddy system with neighbors.  For example, you will care for each othersanimals if an emergency strikes when one of you is not home.
  
  Step 4.  Make sure that vaccinations are current and pets have identification.
  
  For more information, please visit one of the following Web sites: the American Veterinary Medical Association at www.avma.org, or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at www.aspca.org.

• Michigan Farm Animals Susceptible to Mosquito-Borne Diseases
  Health officials encourage taking precautions
  
  LANSING - The Michigan Departments of Community Health (MDCH) and Agriculture (MDA) today received confirmation from the Michigan State University (MSU) Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health (DCPAH) that a yearling Quarter Horse from Cass County tested positive for the Mosquito-borne disease, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). The young stallion was demonstrating neurological signs associated with EEE and was humanely euthanized. This is the second case of EEE in a Michigan horse this year.
  
  Five emus on a farm in Berrien County, approximately 20 miles from the Cass County horse, also died from EEE. The emus were penned in an area that had a tremendous amount of mosquitoes. Four turkeys recently died from West Nile Virus (WNV) in Cass County as well. 
  
  Michigan residents need to know the risks associated with mosquito-borne illnesses, which is why we are encouraging citizens to observe several common sense steps to limit exposure to mosquitoes, said Janet Olszewski, MDCH director.  One bite from an infected mosquito can lead to a severe - and possibly life-altering - illness. Prevention is the key to protection.
  
  Its imperative that people take every precaution possible to prevent mosquito borne disease exposure for themselves and their livestock, said Dr. Steven Halstead, state veterinarian.  A simple vaccination will protect your animal from these often fatal illnesses, and routine measures to reduce mosquito exposure and eliminate mosquito habitat around the home and farm will help protect people, horses, and other livestock.
  
  EEE and WNV are both caused by viruses found in wild birds.  Mosquitoes that feed on birds infected with EEE or WNV can transmit the disease to humans, horses, and other birds.  Some birds are able to harbor the WNV or EEE viruses without becoming acutely ill, thereby serving as reservoirs for the disease. Horses do not develop high enough levels of these viruses in their blood to be contagious to other animals or humans.  Because of the high mortality rate for horses and humans, EEE is regarded as one of the most serious mosquito-borne diseases in the United States.
  
  Tips for preventing mosquito-borne diseases include:
  
  * Avoid mosquito bites: Use insect repellent when outdoors, especially from dusk to dawn. Look for EPA-labeled products containing
     active ingredients, such as DEET, Picaridin (KBR3023), or oil of lemon eucalyptus (p-menthane 3,8-diol).  Apply more repellent,
     according to label instructions, if mosquitoes start to bite.
  
  * Mosquito-proof homes: Fix or install window and door screens and cover or eliminate empty containers with standing water where
     mosquitoes can lay eggs.
  
  * Vaccinate your horses: Commercially available licensed vaccines against EEE and WNV are recommended for all horses in the U.S. 
     Horses should be vaccinated annually, and in areas where WNV is widespread in mosquitoes and when local conditions contribute to  
     disease risk, boosters should be considered in consultation with your local veterinarian. It’s not too late this year to vaccinate your
     horses.
                o Use approved insect repellants to protect horses.
                o If possible, put horses in stables, stalls, or barns during the prime mosquito exposure hours of dusk and dawn.
                o Eliminate standing water and drain water troughs, and empty buckets at least weekly.
  
  * Help your community: Report dead birds to your local health department to help track WNV and support community-based  
     mosquito control programs.
  
  Seasonal activity varies from year to year, but mosquitoes carrying EEE or WNV remain a threat. EEE has spread to Michigan from the east coast of the U.S. and WNV has spread across the U.S., from coast to coast, with new cases being reported daily. Since WNV activity often does not peak until September, more cases are expected.
  
  For more information on the human health impact of EEE, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) web site at: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/arbor/eeefact.htm. 
  
  For more information about EEE or WNV in horses, consult your local veterinarian or contact MDAs Animal Industry Division at 517-373-1077; or visit the MDA Web site at: www.michigan.gov/mda