Walking On Volume 6, Issue 4, April 2019 | Page 15

For the Health of It in mind that not all these signs may be present. Horses can be infected and still appear normal (subclinical infection), especially if they have been previously vac- cinated. Other infectious agents can produce clinical signs that look like EI, but aren’t. EHV-1/4 or strangles (Streptococ- cus equi) are examples. Have your veteri- narian collect a nasal swab, or ideally a nasopharyngeal swab (which goes beyond the nostrils into the back of the throat), and send it to a veterinary diagnostic laboratory to confirm a diagnosis. Information on na- sal-swabbing can be found at http://vetsci.ca.uky.edu/ services. If your horse does develop clinical signs of EI, then the rule of thumb is that for every day of fever, it should be stall-rested for a week. 2. Vaccinate your horses using a vaccine that pro- tects against both FC1 and FC2 viruses. Horses’ anti- body responses to vaccination do not last indefinitely, so if your horse has not been vaccinated for six months or more, then it is due for a booster. If it has been three months or less since the last booster, then hopefully your horse’s immunity should be at its peak. Consult your veterinarian and refer to the AAEP Guidelines (https://aaep.org/guidelines/ vaccination-guidelines/ risk-based-vaccination- guidelines/equine-influenza). In the event of an EI outbreak, where your horse may potentially be exposed, vaccination in the immediate face of the event might help if there is sufficient time— at least a week—for the horse’s immune system to start making antibodies. 3. Communicate with your veterinarian and with the manager or resident veterinarian at any facility to which you are taking your horse. Is there an outbreak situation? If so, re-evaluate your horse’s vaccination status, and re-evaluate exposing your horse to flu. 4. Biosecurity from infectious diseases is best en- forced by avoiding exposure whenever possible. For farms, the best biosecurity is obtained by quarantining newly arriving horses away from the general herd for sufficient time to assure that the new arrivals are not bringing diseases with them. EI is transmitted through the air by coughing and indirectly on hands or cloth- ing/ equipment (fomites) that have been in contact with an infected horse. CONTACT: Thomas Chambers, PhD tmcham1@uky edu [phone] Maxwell H Gluck Equine Research Center Univer- sity of Kentucky Lexington, KY The Walking On B ulletin B oard! Attire / Tack Awards Advertise your farm or business. 30 words - text only - $40 for one year • 30 words with photo or logo - $75 for one year. (phone, email & website do not count toward 30 word limit) Don’t miss out on this affordable advertising opportunity. Email [email protected] to place your ad today! 15