by Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer
Kentucky’s equine industry averted a crisis in the contagious equine metritis outbreak thanks to the expertise of the state veterinarian’s office and the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture. Practicing veterinarians, horse owners and federal employees at the state level also were instrumental in diagnosing and containing the disease. We are confident that Kentucky again will be CEM-free in a few weeks.
The disease was first identified Dec. 10 in routine testing of an American quarter horse for export of semen. Authorities identified the farm where the stallion stood and found three more positive stallions. The infected stallions were treated and test bred. Another six exposed stallions tested negative.
Statewide and nationwide traces were performed to locate stallions exposed to the positive horses on the Kentucky farm and mares that were inseminated by the positive stallions. Approximately 750 mares were determined to have been bred via artificial insemination to the infected stallions, of which 35 were located in Kentucky. To date only three mares and 11 stallions nationwide have tested positive for CEM.
Early in the outbreak Kentucky was the de facto lead agency in the nationwide response. Our equine experts worked with U.S. Department of Agriculture authorities in Washington to develop testing and treatment protocols that were put in place for the entire country.
All the stallions on the farm arrived there for the first time for the 2008 Kentucky breeding season. None of them had resided in Kentucky prior to December 2007. After extensive investigation of each possible source, the Kentucky state veterinarian’s office has determined that the most probable source of introduction of the disease to Kentucky was a horse that entered the state from Wisconsin for the 2008 breeding season. The source of introduction of this foreign animal disease to the United States has not been determined. USDA and Wisconsin officials continue to diligently investigate the source and spread of the disease.
Kentucky’s response to the CEM outbreak has been a success by any measure. If all goes well, the disease will be eradicated in Kentucky with little disruption of the breeding season. The state’s expertise and quick, decisive action enabled Kentucky to avoid more strict interstate and international restrictions (other than a ban imposed by Mexico) that could have been crippling to the Commonwealth’s quarter horse breeders, most of which are small family operations. The outbreak did not affect the state’s Thoroughbred population in any way.
The outbreak also tested the ability of state government, our partners at UK and USDA, our counterparts in other states and private stakeholders to respond to an animal disease crisis. We all learned valuable lessons from this experience that may be put to good use in another – perhaps more serious and faster-moving – disease outbreak.
The disruption to Kentucky’s equine industry was kept to a minimum because the disease was detected early and because Kentucky had the experience and expertise to address the outbreak. This case should serve as a wake-up call to remind us all that animal disease surveillance is not a luxury. In this case, routine surveillance prevented a larger outbreak that could have cost horse breeders millions of dollars and driven some of them out of business.
The Office of the State Veterinarian/Division of Animal Health has had its budget and staff cut to the breaking point. A strong surveillance program is absolutely necessary to prevent the introduction of animal disease that could wreck Kentucky’s $3 billion livestock industry and threaten public health. Let your legislators know that you value the services of the state veterinarian’s office and you want to see it fully funded.
The disease was first identified Dec. 10 in routine testing of an American quarter horse for export of semen. Authorities identified the farm where the stallion stood and found three more positive stallions. The infected stallions were treated and test bred. Another six exposed stallions tested negative.
Statewide and nationwide traces were performed to locate stallions exposed to the positive horses on the Kentucky farm and mares that were inseminated by the positive stallions. Approximately 750 mares were determined to have been bred via artificial insemination to the infected stallions, of which 35 were located in Kentucky. To date only three mares and 11 stallions nationwide have tested positive for CEM.
Early in the outbreak Kentucky was the de facto lead agency in the nationwide response. Our equine experts worked with U.S. Department of Agriculture authorities in Washington to develop testing and treatment protocols that were put in place for the entire country.
All the stallions on the farm arrived there for the first time for the 2008 Kentucky breeding season. None of them had resided in Kentucky prior to December 2007. After extensive investigation of each possible source, the Kentucky state veterinarian’s office has determined that the most probable source of introduction of the disease to Kentucky was a horse that entered the state from Wisconsin for the 2008 breeding season. The source of introduction of this foreign animal disease to the United States has not been determined. USDA and Wisconsin officials continue to diligently investigate the source and spread of the disease.
Kentucky’s response to the CEM outbreak has been a success by any measure. If all goes well, the disease will be eradicated in Kentucky with little disruption of the breeding season. The state’s expertise and quick, decisive action enabled Kentucky to avoid more strict interstate and international restrictions (other than a ban imposed by Mexico) that could have been crippling to the Commonwealth’s quarter horse breeders, most of which are small family operations. The outbreak did not affect the state’s Thoroughbred population in any way.
The outbreak also tested the ability of state government, our partners at UK and USDA, our counterparts in other states and private stakeholders to respond to an animal disease crisis. We all learned valuable lessons from this experience that may be put to good use in another – perhaps more serious and faster-moving – disease outbreak.
The disruption to Kentucky’s equine industry was kept to a minimum because the disease was detected early and because Kentucky had the experience and expertise to address the outbreak. This case should serve as a wake-up call to remind us all that animal disease surveillance is not a luxury. In this case, routine surveillance prevented a larger outbreak that could have cost horse breeders millions of dollars and driven some of them out of business.
The Office of the State Veterinarian/Division of Animal Health has had its budget and staff cut to the breaking point. A strong surveillance program is absolutely necessary to prevent the introduction of animal disease that could wreck Kentucky’s $3 billion livestock industry and threaten public health. Let your legislators know that you value the services of the state veterinarian’s office and you want to see it fully funded.
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