Disease factsheet: Equine Viral Arteritis - Controlling infection - Recommendations
If EVA occurs:
a. Seek veterinary advice and notify the DVM of Defra immediatly.
b. Stop movement on/off the premises.
c. Stop mating and teasing.
d. Stop semen collection for AI; check stored semen (one dose of each batch to be tested by a competent laboratory).
e. Isolate clinical cases and their in-contacts. Take samples for virus detection tests by a competent laboratory.
f. Screen all horses at the premises by blood testing. Healthy seronegative animals which have been in contact with the clinical cases should be grouped away from other healthy seronegative horses.
g. Notify:
- owners of horses at and due to arrive at the premises.
- owners of horses which have left the premises.
- recipients of semen from the premises.
- your breeders' association.
h. Repeat blood testing after 14 days and again every 14 days until the outbreak is over. Use the same laboratory for repeat samples. If any previously healthy or seronegative horses become ill or become seropositive, move them into the appropriate group.
i. Keep seropositive horses in isolation for at least 1 month.
j. If stallions or teasers remain seropositive, steps must be taken to determine whether they are shedders. See the section titled "Identifying shedder stalions" below. Stallions or teasers which prove to be shedders must be kept in strict isolation until their future is decided and must not be used for mating, semen collection or teasing during this time.
k. Clean and disinfect stables and vehicles used for horse transport.
l. Good hygiene must be exercised. If possible, separate staff should be used for the different groups of horses.
m. Take veterinary advice on the resumption of movement, breeding and AI activity.
n. Pregnant mares must be isolated for at least one month after leaving the premises. Those remaining on the premises should be kept in isolation for at least one month after active infection has stopped.
Page last modified:
January 30, 2007