USAHA News
United States Animal Health Association
Contact:  Larry Mark - (703) 451-3954 - ldmark@erols.com


For immediate release:

EQUINE PIROPLASMOSIS SPARKS LIVELY DISCUSSION AT HORSE DISEASE 
COMMITTEE MEETING

	HERSHEY, Pa., Nov. 8, 2005 - Equine piroplasmosis, a parasitic horse disease 
spread by ticks, was the subject of a lively discussion at the meeting here this week of the 
Committee on Infectious Diseases of Horses of the U.S. Animal Health Association 
(USAHA).

      Points actively discussed at the committee meeting included:

	- Whether states should implement post-entry testing of horses for 
piroplasmosis (as is currently required in Florida);

	- The timeliness and value of a national serosurvey for equine piroplasmosis;

	- Whether the time is appropriate for developing a "Uniform Method and 
Rules" (UM&R); and

	- The urgent need for research on the efficacy of treatment for elimination of 
the parasite in horses chronically infected with Babesia caballi and/or B. equi, 
the causative organisms of equine piroplasmosis. 

	The committee called for the formation of a subcommittee on equine 
piroplasmosis to address the growing concern over how horses found seropositive for B. 
caballi or B. equi should be handled at the state or national level.

      The committee also approved a recommendation calling on Veterinary Services of 
USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to maintain a database of 
information on all imported stallions and mares that are confirmed carriers of the 
organism that causes Contagious Equine Metritis (CEM).  

	As part of its meeting, the committee was provided with an update on the 
National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) Equine 2005 Study.  In planning 
this study, the intent was to build on the NAHMS Equine 1998 Study, which provided 
valuable information on the health and health management of the equine population.  
Therefore, the same 28 states that participated in the earlier study were also included in 
the Equine 2005 Study.

	The study consists of two components:  One that focuses on equine events and the 
other that looks at on-farm health management factors relating to the control of equine 
infectious diseases.

	The event component began in the spring of 2005 at selected equine gatherings, 
sales or shows in six of the 28 states (California, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, New York 
and Texas).  Up to 60 events from each of the six states were selected.  Data were 
gathered by state and federal veterinarians regarding the use of health documents together 
with the description, origin and vaccination history of the participating animals along 
with their movements after leaving particular events.  Data collection is on-going and the 
final report should be available in the summer of 2006.

	The on-farm component, which began this past summer, has as its focus the 
collection of information on infection control strategies to overcome selected equine 
diseases.  Premises included in the study were selected by USDA's National Agricultural 
Statistics Service (NASS) from its 2002 census.  Relevant data collected in the current 
study will be compared to data collected during the Equine 1998 Study.  This will help 
identify trends in equine health management as it relates to equine disease control and the 
economic consequences of selected equine diseases.  Findings from the on-farm study 
should be available in the spring and summer of 2006.

                                                               ###