Officials from the USDA’s National Center for Import/Export recently rescinded a contagious equine metritis (CEM) exemption once given to Spanish purebred horses. The exemption allowed these horses to pass through the import center with an abbreviated form of CEM testing, an allowance that was revoked due to repeat violations of U.S. equine import requirements.

Contagious equine metritis

The worst is over in the unusual equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) outbreak that led to the death of 10 horses and has affected the remaining equine population at the University of Findlay’s English riding facility in Findlay, Ohio, since Jan. 12. Veterinarians have not detected any new cases of the respiratory and neurological illness in the last five days at the facility. Ten horses with

Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) officials have reported that equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) has been confirmed as the cause of the respiratory and neurologic illness that has plagued University of Findlay horses since Jan. 12.

“Our laboratory test results substantiate the initial clinical diagnosis by veterinary experts a few days ago that EHV-1 caused the current outbreak of

The battle against the paralyzing disease that hit the English riding facility at the University of Findlay in Findlay, Ohio was lost for 10 horses, but is still being waged for the 22 others which have been affected neurologically (see article #4079 at www.TheHorse.com). C. Michael Kerns, DVM, Director of University Equine Veterinary Services at the

At least 10 horses have died or have been euthanized at the University of Findlay (UF) in Findlay, Ohio, after battling a respiratory and neurologic illness. Preliminary polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests completed on tissue samples from affected horses by the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s (ODA) Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory this morning came back as “presumptive positive” for

A rule change designed to reduce incidence of corticosteroid abuse in equine athletes was among several topics discussed in the Veterinary and Equine Drugs and Medications (D&M) committee meetings and D&M Open Forum Jan. 16-17 at the 2003 USA Equestrian (USAE) Convention in Lexington, Ky. Veterinarians, competitors, and industry officials on these committees convened to vote on rules

Over 5,200 veterinary professionals, guests and exhibitors attended the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ (AAEP) 48th Annual Convention in Orlando, Fla., setting a new attendance record for the meeting. The convention, held Dec. 4-8, 2002, featured nearly 100 scientific presentations, a sold-out trade show and an equine health seminar for horse owners.

“Dr. Tom Lenz and th

 “Why should we be concerned about EPM (equine protozoal myeloencephalitis)?” asked William J.A. Saville, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, PhD, of The Ohio State University (OSU) at the 2002 American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) convention. “Because it is still an important equine disease, although we have a low incidence of the disease, and regardless of therapies available to treat EPM,

As post-performance drug testing methods become more sensitive, racehorse and show horse owners, veterinarians, handlers, and trainers have become more aware that positive drug tests could be the result of inadvertent contamination of the horse with chemicals present in the environment. Cynthia Kollias-Baker, DVM, PhD, director of the Racing Laboratory at the University of Florida, recently

The introduction of antimicrobial drugs to veterinary medicine has made a dramatic improvement in the health of our horses, but it’s alarming when infections do not respond to these drugs. “It is not a new phenomenon, but there has been ever-growing concern about antimicrobial resistance,” said Josie Traub-Dargatz, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, of Colorado State University, in her presentation at the

Three farm-raised alligators from Central Florida have tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV), according to officials at the University of Florida (UF) College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM). This is the first time the virus has affected U.S. reptiles. Multiple agencies were involved in the diagnosis, including the CVM, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Florida

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has recently revised and redesigned 21 client education brochures with the support of Bayer Animal Health and Purina Mills. The brochures are available to veterinarians and come in packages of 25 at a low cost. According to Dana Roberts, AAEP’s Owner Education Coordinator, several other brochures are in the works and will be available in

Government veterinary officials recently designated West Nile virus (WNV) as an endemic disease in the United States. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services (VS) previously had considered WNV a Foreign Animal Disease (FAD), since it had never been detected in the United States prior to 1999. (Read more about WNV at