Due to the ongoing investigation into equine piroplasmosis in the state of Texas, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture's State Veterinarian's Office has opted to require testing of all horses from Texas entering the state of Kentucky.

A statement released by the Kentucky State Veterinarian's Office Oct. 29 indicated that more than 100 horses in Texas have now tested positive, and noted some of the positive horses were not known to have had direct contact with the previously identified group of infected horses. This might indicate that natural transmission of the causative agent (which can be spread via ticks) has occurred.

All Texas resident horses (within the state for the past 30 days or more) seeking to enter Kentucky are required to have a negative cELISA for Theileria equi and Babesia caballi, the protozoal parasites that cause equine piroplasmosis. Under the current protocol, the test results will qualify a horse for entry for 12 months.

The USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, is currently the only facility approved to conduct testing for equine piroplasmosis