Where passion for animals, science, and medicine lives…
The US is currently battling another foreign animal disease outbreak. Last week, vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) was identified in two horses in south Texas and one in New Mexico. Summer breezes bring vectors up from Mexico. With low mortality, our greatest concern with VSV is its resemblance to important foreign animal diseases (FADs) like foot Continue Reading
It’s springtime again, and you should already have your mare booked to a stallion. If you have a Quarter Horse, you have the advantage of being able to utilize artificial insemination. If you choose live cover, there are a few infectious diseases you should be concerned about. One foreign animal disease (FAD) to remember is Continue Reading
Peste des petits ruminants. While it is French, it is not something fancy that you would want to receive as a gift from your beloved. It is commonly referred to as sheep plague or goat plague and is decimating the small ruminate population in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The most recent outbreak has Continue Reading
What is a fomite, you might be wondering? Is it a thing? A place, a condition, or a person? It can actually be three of these things. A fomite is an object that can be contaminated with a bacteria, virus, or prion, and be a source of infection to other animals.
Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease of over 70 species of wild and domestic cloven-hoofed mammals. From the OIE Technical Disease Cards, the early signs include “vesicles on the tongue, dental pad, buccal mucosa, cheeks, gums, hard and soft palate, nostrils, muzzle, feet, corium of dewclaws, interdigital spaces, or teats”. Continue Reading
If you prefer to listen to podcasts, feel free to play the audio version of this blog by clicking on the player above. Podcast: Rabies Length: 5:20 minutesWritten and read by the author
Horses are very susceptible to many vaccine preventable diseases. Some of the more common ones are EEE/WEE/VEE, rabies, West Nile, and tetanus. These are considered “core” vaccinations for all horses. Vaccination for other diseases, such as influenza, EHV 1 & 4, and strangles are based on risk. Some horses have higher risk of exposure to Continue Reading
Biosecurity is a very important aspect of any size operation, from a handful of chickens in the backyard to large commercial swine operations. The purpose of biosecurity is to prevent infectious diseases from coming into the herd or flock. There are many ways that disease can enter a premises. Bacteria and viruses can be Continue Reading