Today the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced the release of the United States’ Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA) Uniform Methods and Rules (UM&R), which were effective April 19 and will serve as a standard for handling EVA in breeding and other situations in this country. The United States is the only major horse-breeding country without a current EVA control policy, and the UM&R takes the industry one step closer to establishing one.

The document is the result of nearly a year of organizing ideas set forth by EVA experts and APHIS officials who met in Washington, D.C., last year. It essentially will serve as a code of practice, or practice standards, for veterinarians and horse owners nationwide