Equine Disease Quarterly | EQUINE
Fourth Quarter 2019
The International Collating Centre, Newmarket, United
Kingdom, and other sources reported the following
equine disease outbreaks.
The Republic of South Africa (RSA) reported sporadic
cases of African Horse Sickness in Free State, Gauteng,
and North West Province. These represented the first
cases recorded in the 2019/2020 season.
Three separate outbreaks of glanders were confirmed in
Turkey. These were associated with illegal movement of
horses without identification or veterinary certification.
Of 1,375 horses tested, 63 were positive and 18 suspect;
all were euthanized.
Equine influenza was confirmed in France, Germany, the
Netherlands, the UK, and the USA. With the exception of
the USA, the number of outbreaks ranged from 1-3, the
majority in unvaccinated horses. The disease is endemic
in the USA, with outbreaks diagnosed in seven states
and multiple outbreaks in one state.
Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland,
and the USA recorded strangles. The number of
outbreaks varied from four (Belgium), 21 (France), three
(Germany), 12 (the Netherlands), one (Switzerland) to 40
in the USA, where the disease is endemic.
Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) related diseases were
recorded by Belgium, Canada, France, Germany,
the Netherlands, RSA, UK, and the USA. Respiratory
disease outbreaks were diagnosed in France (two), the
Netherlands (one), RSA (one), UK (four), and in several
states in the USA. EHV-1 abortion was reported by
France (one case) and the Netherlands (one case).
EHV-1 neurologic disease was confirmed in Belgium
(one outbreak involving five horses), Canada (two
cases), France (two outbreaks), Germany (one case), the
Netherlands (three outbreaks, one involving 11 affected
horses and the other two, single cases), and the USA (17
outbreaks in 10 states, one involving eight cases and the
remainder, single cases).
Equine herpesvirus 4 (EHV-4) respiratory disease
outbreaks were reported by France (41, the majority
involving single cases), Germany (three, all single
cases), Japan (one outbreak involving two horses), the
Netherlands (five, involving one to five animals apiece),
and the UK (11). While the majority were represented by
single cases, one outbreak involved 32 weanlings and
another eight yearlings. France (two outbreaks) and the
USA (three outbreaks) reported single cases of EHV-4
abortion. Numerous cases of EHV-2 and EHV-5 infection
were confirmed by the USA, a percentage of which were
associated with clinical respiratory disease.
France and the USA reported two outbreaks of equine
infectious anemia apiece. Each involved a single case.
Only a single report of equine piroplasmosis was
received in the fourth quarter of 2019. The RSA reported
that the disease was endemic throughout the country.
A total of 19 cases of nocardioform placentitis and
abortion were diagnosed in Kentucky, USA during the
period under review. A range of bacterial organisms
were identified with cases of the disease. Contagious
equine metritis was reported by several countries.
Denmark, France and Germany each detected Taylorella
equigenitalis in a stallion. South Korea recorded three
positive animals out of 2,269 samples tested, the gender
of the animals was not identified.
Other causes of abortion reported by Kentucky, USA
included Neorickettsia risticii (two cases).
The USA recorded one case of Salmonella infection in
Kentucky; several cases of rotavirus infection in three
• Volume 22 Issue 02 | June 2020 •
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