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From: Carla Everett
Date: 10/25/2000
Time: 3:12:25 PM
Remote Name: 192.108.17.121
Equine owners, associations and other interested persons have until November 20 to provide input on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proposed program for Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA), a highly contagious, but not widespread, respiratory and reproductive disease of equine in the U.S. Five program options are being considered, ranging from an “education only” effort, to a restrictive disease eradication mode, which would involve interstate movement regulations.
“We want the equine community to comment on the USDA’s proposal, because without a doubt, it will affect us locally, said Dr. Terry Conger, veterinarian and state epidemiologist for the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC), the state’s livestock health regulatory agency. [EVA should not be confused with the incurable virus Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA), for which Texas has an active control and regulatory program. The TAHC has no regulations for EVA, other than monitoring the use of vaccine.]
“Currently, there is no federal program to control EVA, which, after an incubation period of about a week, can cause infected equine to run fever, lose their appetite, and develop nasal discharge and conjunctivitis (red, swollen eyes). While in many instances, there are no signs of illness, a high percentage of infected pregnant mares will abort or deliver foals that do not survive,” said Dr. Conger.
“Affected mares, geldings or sexually immature stallions will usually eliminate the virus and develop a strong immunity against the disease,” he said. “Infected stallions, on the other hand, can harbor the disease in their reproductive system as long as 15 years and shed the virus continuously in their semen, infecting mares during breeding or artificial insemination. Infected mares also can infect their foals in utero, prior to delivery.”
“A very effective vaccine is available and can be used in Texas only with prior permission from the TAHC,” said Dr. Conger. “Foals are vaccinated between the ages of six and 12 months, while blood-test negative breeding stallions can be inoculated annually. Mares that will be bred to infected stallions should be vaccinated at least three weeks prior to breeding, followed by a booster three or four months after the initial inoculation. This regimen can provide lifetime immunity for the mare. Vaccinated animals can test positive on EVA blood tests. This can cause problems if equine are being exported, so accurate, up-to-date vaccination records should be maintained for immunized equine.”
“Besides health implications, EVA also has economic repercussions,” said Dr. Conger. “Abortions, foal deaths and lost breeding seasons resulting from this disease can substantially impact the equine industry. Most worrisome is the challenge to guard against the spread of disease by infected stallions. Many countries also bar the importation of affected equine and/or their semen.”
A full text of the proposed program levels may be found on the internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html. The document and additional disease information also may be obtained from the TAHC by calling 1-800-550-8242, ext. 710. Dr. Conger has summarized the USDA’s five possible programs, all of which include disease education and range from the least stringent voluntary program to a highly restrictive eradication effort:
1. Minimal voluntary program: • No USDA regulatory involvement. • Educational effort to focus on disease and preventing EVA infection. • Individual breed associations can set requirements for identifying and managing infected stallions.
2. Voluntary control program: • Equine industry to manage and monitor program, with assistance of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and individual states. • USDA-APHIS will quarantine and test internationally imported stallions and/or semen; record results on the import permit and notify animal health regulatory officials in the state of destination. • States are urged to develop testing program for domestic stallions and semen, control in-state movement of affected equine, and make test records public record.
3. Voluntary and Uniform Control Program: • Equine industry, USDA and states will develop national standards, called Uniform Methods and Rules (UMR), encompassing EVA disease control, detection, and movement requirements for stallions that are “shedders” of the virus. • USDA-APHIS will quarantine and test internationally imported stallions and/or semen; record results on the import permit and recommend the state of destination hold the positive stallions for virus isolation tests. • States urged to test domestic stallions and semen; require tests for interstate movement, and conduct virus isolation (confirmation) tests on all blood-test positive stallions. Test records would be public record.
4. Certification Program • USDA-APHIS would release internationally imported blood-test positive stallions and/or semen only to states participating in certification program. • Known infected domestic stallions and/or semen also could move only to certified states. • Certified states would run virus isolation (confirmation) tests on every blood-test positive stallion entering the state, and test and record results on all incoming domestic equine semen. • Certified states would also regulate the in-state movement of infected semen and stallions.
5. Eradication Program • Equine industry, USDA and states to develop national standards, called Uniform Methods and Rules (UMR), encompassing EVA disease control, detection, movement requirements and prevention. • USDA-APHIS to quarantine and test imported stallions and/or semen; move positives to APHIS-approved site for virus isolation (confirmation) testing. Results to be recorded on import permit accompanying animal or semen. • USDA-APHIS would require domestic stallions and semen to be tested for EVA prior to interstate movement, with results recorded on the certificate of veterinary inspection. • Movement permits required for interstate movement of infected semen or stallions shedding the EVA virus. USDA- APHIS recommends semen from these affected stallions undergo a virus isolation test prior to the first breeding in the new state. • USDA-APHIS to initiate an EVA-vaccination program for domestic mares.
To provide input on the proposed EVA program levels, send three copies of comments to: Docket #99-074-1 Regulatory Analysis and Development PPD, APHIS Suite 3C0-3 4700 River Road, Unit 118 Riverdale, Maryland 20737-1238,
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From: New Zealand
Date: 4/4/2006
Time: 12:50:48 PM
Remote Name: 68.87.76.153
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