Supporting horse owners and veterinarians in their efforts to keep their horses healthy, Merial launched its "Outbreak Alert" program on June 1, which will be used to notify horse owners about reports of equine disease throughout the country, as well as build a greater awareness of those diseases and the importance of prevention.

Disease poses a significant threat to horses’ health and well-being: Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) has a mortality rate estimated to be as high as 90%. Every case of rabies presents a death sentence to the infected horse and a risk of infection for other horses. Potomac horse fever (PHF) can lead to severe complications or death in up to 30% of infected horses. One out of three horses infected with West Nile virus (WNV) dies or must be euthanized. While these statistics are alarming, horse owners can help minimize disease risk by being armed with information.

"The primary focus of the program is to help keep horse owners, like myself, informed about the threat of disease in the area where they live or where they may be traveling," said Beckie Peskin, product manager of equine vaccines and dewormers at Merial. "Owners want the best for their horses, and knowing where the threat of disease exists will help them take the appropriate preventive measures to help protect their horse."

Horse owners can sign up for free alerts via the program’s website, www.outbreak-alert.com. When a disease report occurs, those who have signed up for the notification and live within a 250-mile radius of where the report occurred will receive a text and/or e-mail message to alert them of the potential disease threat. Owners who travel with their horses and want to stay abreast of disease threats in other parts of the country can enter multiple zip codes in the site’s search field. They will then be able to receive alerts for all areas they have selected