The office of the state veterinarian of Kentucky would like to remind all horsemen and veterinarians to check entry requirements (both interstate and onto a particular track) prior to preparing horses to depart, said Rusty Ford, equine programs manager for the state veterinarian. This is an effort to continue the battle against piroplasmosis and other contagious diseases.

Piroplasmosis continues to be a disease mandating greater attention of horsemen and veterinarians. In today's environment this is particularly true for those preparing and qualifying horses to move onto racetracks throughout the country. During the past year a number of racehorses have been found positive (particularly Quarter Horses, but recently also Thoroughbreds). This has resulted in a number of tracks requiring horses to be tested negative for piroplasmosis.

Testing Accessibility:

In the past year, the USDA has approved a number of state and university laboratories in Kentucky to conduct piroplasmosis testing. Both Murray State University's Breathitt Veterinary Center and the University of Kentucky's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory are approved by USDA to conduct the testing