Texas Equine Veterinary Association

there were no mandated restrictions on horse movement. As you can imagine, there were a lot of opinions on how to handle the situation. I often reflect and ask myself, what did we do well? What could we have improved? How do we prevent infectious disease outbreaks with so many horses moving from one event to the next? What principles should be in place to minimize future outbreaks moving forward? What did we learn from Covid-19 that can influence preventive measures in the equine community? Prevention is priority Given how difficult it is to the stop the spread of certain infectious diseases, prevention needs to be our top priority. Prevention is in the textbooks we read, and equine vet conferences always seem to have a good panel of speakers on biosecurity. Of course, as veterinarians we advocate for prevention with our clients because we care about it and it's our duty. We remind clients that their horses are particularly vulnerable at shows, races, and events. We emphasize a two-week quarantine for new horses welcomed at barns and after transport with horses outside their normal population. But how often does this happen? As a barn owner, I know I'm guilty of committing this crime. It's additional work when so many operations are already short- staffed. How do we do a better job as equine veterinarians of emphasizing and educating on the importance of preventive measures? Frankly, my firsthand experience of this outbreak absolutely changed the tone with which I discuss preventive measures with clients. I have a lot more urgency in my voice. Conversations around recent outbreaks, such as vesicular stomatitis in California this year, usually gets their attention. One gift the pandemic gave us was heightened awareness of contagious diseases. It's a relatable conversation with horse owners. Considering the "not fun" factor of an outbreak, one "fun fact" I loved sharing during this particular outbreak was, "Did you know a horse can sneeze and shed a virus reaching half the length a football field?" (1) That's 50 yards (150 feet) according to the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC). Let's not wait to prioritize biosecurity measures until it's too late. Let's focus on prevention first. Trust the science and vaccinate Routine preventive care and vaccination is critical for all horses at all stages of life. No matter if the horse travels, lives at a facility where others travel or simply is exposed to other horses across the fence line, the end game is the same—healthy, happy, and protected. Although vaccinating doesn't guarantee prevention of disease, science has shown that it significantly reduces the risk of clinical signs as well as the duration of disease. The AAEP divides vaccinations into core and risk-based. Core diseases are those that are endemic, pose a risk of significant harm to a horse and are potentially significant to public health. Core diseases include eastern equine encephalomyelitis, western equine encephalomyelitis, tetanus, rabies and West Nile virus. Risk-based vaccines that target diseases such as equine rhinopneumonitis (EHV-4/1) and EIV are often chosen based on the nature of commingling, travel, and geographic location. Because respiratory viruses are the most common risk-based viruses, most organizations overseeing performance horse events require horses to be vaccinated for EHV-1 and -4 and EIV every six months. In studies, Fluvac Innovator® EHV-4/1 was shown to be highly immunogenic in stimulating a cross-protective titer against all 14 circulating strains of EIV in 2022 and all 66 other influenza strains between 2017 and 2021. These strains were isolated and tested by the World Organization for Animal Health's reference lab 2,3,4,5,6,7 Important note: The AAEP recommends that all horses get vaccinated two to three weeks prior to traveling. Improving biosecurity through heightened communication The transmission of information is essential for effective outcomes. The governing bodies regulating horse shows and large equine events, along with the veterinarians involved, need to have an action plan in place before potential biosecurity events occur. Like COVID-19, social and economic impacts are at risk. Alternating perspectives of all parties involved can often make a plan of action difficult to execute. On the management side, show owners may not want to lose entry money or make it publicly known that there may be a biosecurity threat at their show. It's not good for business. Trainers and owners may be hesitant to inform others of their sick horses out of fear that they'll be blamed as the source of disease transmission. Many febrile horses are treated by trainers, sometimes for days before getting a veterinarian involved. Veterinarians may feel obligated to protect their clients and have a mindset that if a horse is already shedding a virus, he's already shed to neighboring horses at this point. All these mindsets are a recipe for disaster. As veterinarians, professionals, and experts in the equine field, it's our duty not only to treat these horses but also to communicate potential threats to the community. It's our responsibility to have these difficult conversations. Sometimes I think we don't give our little horse world enough credit. I saw firsthand, as many of you would probably agree, a quick moment of panic followed by a 52

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