By Scott Weese on Posted in Cats,Dogs,Horses,Other animals,Rabies,VaccinationThe Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has launched its new (and long-awaited) rabies website. The site includes a section for the public which is an ideal resource for clients, and a section for veterinarians with detailed information about reporting, risk assessment, sample submission and testing, and post-exposure management (for companion animals and… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Cats,Dogs,Horses,MRSA/MRSP,Other animalsI realize this is outside of the scope of most readers (so let me apologize in advance for some wasted electrons), but here’s a quick announcement of the 4th ASM/ESCMID Conference on methicillin-resistant staphylococci in animals; animals and human health implications. (Yes, the name’s a bit long and drawn out, and I probably take the… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in HorsesA recent cluster of equine infectious anemia (EIA) cases in Saskatchewan highlights the personal side of EIA control. EIA is a serious insect-borne viral disease of horses that can cause illness ranging from mild to fatal. Some horses recover uneventfully but are then potential sources of the virus for others, and disease can build up slowly and silently… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Horses,VaccinationMandatory vaccination for horses entering shows, other events and sales has been a surprisingly contentious issue for years. Some groups have required equine influenza vaccination for a long time, and it’s an accepted measure. Attempts to mandate vaccination for some other groups or events have often been met with resistance, even when those attempts were… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Horses,VaccinationThe season has arrived. Right on schedule, the first case of West Nile virus (WNV) infection in an Ontario horse has been identified, prompting an advisory from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). The affected horse was from Sudbury, Ontario, and was euthanized because of progressive and severe neurological disease. It… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in HorsesThis week, a horse show in Halifax (UK) was cancelled because of some local cases of strangles (Streptococcus equi subsp equi infection). We can debate whether that was prudent or overkill (or whether measures could have been put in place to reduce the risk and make it manageable), but it highlights the concerns that accompany… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in HorsesAs part of an ongoing commitment to infection control and biosecurity in horses, Equine Guelph has released a series of new videos and other resources. They are available for download for free here.… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in HorsesThe Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs has issued a Biosecurity Alert (2015-07-09 EHM advisory) in response to an equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM) case. This neurological disease, caused by equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) gets a lot of attention now, when 10 years ago it would have largely been dismissed (or at least… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Horses,MiscellaneousAre you an Ontario horse owner? University of Guelph researchers now recruiting for new equine project! Horses travel frequently, and the nature and extent of these travel patterns can contribute to the introduction and spread of diseases. The University of Guelph is conducting a study to determine how these movement patterns can influence new disease… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in HorsesA paper in the journal BMC Research Notes describes a case of meningitis in a 73-year-old man that was attributed to contact with a horse (Madzar et al 2015). The man was admitted to hospital with fever, headache, neck stiffness, malaise and drowsiness. He was ultimately diagnosed with meningitis caused by Streptococcus zooepidemicus (technically, Streptococcus… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in HorsesProbiotics are popular treatments for any number of ailments (in animals and people), but marketing, especially on the veterinary side, massively outstrips research. A few years ago, I worked on probiotic development in horses. We found what looked like a good candidate bug, but instead of just trying to sell it, we did a proper… Continue Reading
By Maureen Anderson on Posted in HorsesTwo cases of EHV-1 have been detected on a farm in Prior Lake, Minnesota. There aren’t a lot of details about the cases, other than one horse was put down, and the other was taken to the University of Minnesota veterinary hospital for treatment and has apparently recovered and is ready to come home. The… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in HorsesTwo cases of fatal equine herpesvirus type I (EHV-1) neurological disease have been confirmed in the Dickinson, Texas, area. Three more recent deaths are suspected to be associated with the virus as well. The horses were from two boarding stables that are currently under quarantine, as is a veterinary clinic. As always, there’s a need… Continue Reading
By Maureen Anderson on Posted in Horses2014 was the worst year ever for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in Ontario (though our numbers still pale in comparison to more endemic areas in the southern US, such as Florida). A recent article published in the Animal Health Lab (AHL) Newletter (December 2014) by Dr. Alison Moore from OMAFRA sums things up well: "Twenty-two… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in HorsesThe Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has issued an Equine Health Advisory in response to diagnosis of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in a horse in Stormont/Dundas/Glengarry, in eastern Ontario. The 12-year-old gelding died, which is the typically outcome with this disease in horses. EEE is a devastating but fortunately rare (at least… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in HorsesHopefully we can chalk this one up on the "weird and not-so-wonderful" list, and not have it emerge as a significant problem. However, there’s something new to pay attention to as St. Louis Encephalitis virus (SLEV) infection was recently identified in a Brazilian horse with neurological clinical signs. SLEV is a Flavivirus and a relative… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in HorsesIt’s not a coincidence that we see more equine infectious diseases during busy show seasons. Shows are a great way for infectious diseases to spread, with outcomes ranging from disease in single horses to widely disseminated outbreaks, even across international borders. We can’t eliminate all risk in life, and the risk of infection in horses… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in HorsesIt’s that time of year again… at least in some areas. West Nile virus (WNV) infection has been identified in a horse in Colorado. It’s not really a surprise. West Nile virus is one of those pathogens that we know is coming back every year, we just don’t know exactly when. The date of return… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in HorsesA couple days ago, I was talking to a vet who’s trying to manage a strangles outbreak on a farm. In many outbreaks, the biggest hassles are dealing with horse owners, not the disease itself. Strangles, infection by the bacterium Streptococcus equi subsp. equi, is a highly contagious disease but one that is relatively easy to… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in HorsesHint… if you like time off during the summer, don’t get into equine infectious diseases. Vesicular stomatitis (VS) has been identified in five (so far – probably more to come) horses in Kinney County, Texas. The case is shown on the Worms & Germs Map, and more details are available in the news release from… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in HorsesIt’s hard to think about mosquito-borne disease season here at the moment, with temperatures in Ontario still going down to freezing, but the highly concerning disease eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) has been identified in a Marion County, Florida horse. This mosquito-borne virus causes highly fatal infection in both humans and horses. People don’t get it from… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in HorsesSpring’s slow arrival has brought many things. Disappearing snow, a hint of green in the grass… and a greater risk of disease outbreaks in horses. Outbreaks can occur at any time of year but we often start to see certain infectious diseases ramp up as horses start moving around more at the start of training,… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in HorsesThere have been a few reports of equine herpesvirus (EHV-1) neurological disease over the last couple of weeks and some other cases that have been less well publicized. Hopefully it’s all just been a blip on the radar and not a sign of things to come as equine events start to ramp up at this… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in HorsesSurprisingly (at least to me), I don’t hear much about individuals suing other people because of infectious diseases in their horses (apart from sporadic situations involving veterinary hospitals). I’m not saying the increasingly litigious nature of society is a good thing, but I can see how lawsuits could happen given the costs associated with infectious diseases, the… Continue Reading
