The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) has designated Brooks County as a high-risk county for exposure to equine piroplasmosis and will begin testing equids (horses, donkeys, mules, ponies, and zebras) in that county on Nov. 14.

Equine piroplasmosis is a blood-borne protozoal disease that affects all equids. Piroplasmosis can be transmitted from positive equid to negative equid by blood transfer from dirty instruments or insect carriers, such as ticks, but is not transmissible to humans.

The TAHC established Kleberg and Kenedy counties as high-risk areas in 2013, and subsequent testing of resident equids found 28 piroplasmosis-positive animals. A number of tick species are capable of transmitting the disease and at least one species, Amblyomma cajennense, is found in Brooks County. Thus, the TAHC considers Brooks County—having the disease vector and being adjacent to Kleberg and Kenedy counties—at high risk for piroplasmosis.

"Equine piroplasmosis is considered a foreign animal disease in the U.S., however, new cases continue to be discovered in South Texas," said Dee Ellis, DVM, Texas state veterinarian. "The TAHC is asking for the support of equine owners and veterinarians to make this testing effort a success and help assure the health of the equine population