Handling Equine Disease Outbreaks

Knowledge about handling outbreaks will help ensure the best health possible for all horses involved.
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You hear the raspy cough coming from the third stall, and you wince. Even if you’ve been careful about preventing infectious diseases on your farm, you know you can’t stop them all. Unfortunately, disease outbreaks do happen. But what you do next is what can make the difference in the outcome of that outbreak.

First things first: consider the risk of the symptom. Certain clinical signs should always raise red flags with owners and barn managers, as they could be early indicators of infectious disease, said Roberta M. Dwyer, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVPM, professor in the University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Veterinary Science.

“Coughing, diarrhea, fever, and neurologic symptoms including behavior changes should all be considered seriously,” Dwyer said. “My rule of thumb is that you should consider diseases (especially with these symptoms) to be contagious until proven otherwise.”

Certain skin lesions such as round patches of hair loss could also be signs of something contagious (ringworm, for example), but these diseases are not usually as medically serious, she says. If you suspect an infectious disease, don’t panic, but do keep your horse in an isolated area and call your veterinarian immediately

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Passionate about horses and science from the time she was riding her first Shetland Pony in Texas, Christa Lesté-Lasserre writes about scientific research that contributes to a better understanding of all equids. After undergrad studies in science, journalism, and literature, she received a master’s degree in creative writing. Now based in France, she aims to present the most fascinating aspect of equine science: the story it creates. Follow Lesté-Lasserre on Twitter @christalestelas.

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