Horse News & Views - March 2003

Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Ontario Association of Equine Practitioners

• In the past year (2002) in the USA, 14,515 cases of West Nile equine encephalitis were reported. In Ontario, 107 cases of West Nile equine encephalitis were either confirmed or probable in 18 counties of the province. Infected mosquitoes and/or birds were detected in every county of the province. This is leading to a heightened concern over WNV in horses. WNV cases started in the third week of August and continued to be diagnosed into December. Horse owners will be able to have many of their questions answered at regional meetings across the province. Check with your veterinarian and/or the OMAF website for a seminar in your area.

• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) reports that equine infectious anemia (EIA) or swamp fever has been diagnosed in a group of horses which were shipped from Alberta because of the extreme drought conditions. In Ontario, only one case of EIA was detected in 1997 and 1998. A single case of EIA was identified in the Hamilton area in December of 2000. The main focus of infection in Canada in the past few years has been in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia. EIA is a reportable disease under the federal Health of Animals Act. Anyone suspecting that a horse has EIA must report it immediately to CFIA. The local office of CFIA can be found in the blue pages of the phone book. Persons who have received horses as a result of the drought in western Canada should ensure that these horses are tested for EIA prior to the fly season.

• Horses in this group were also incubating strangles and harbouring lice. This emphasizes the importance of on-farm biosecurity and ensuring that new animals do not bring with them diseases such as swamp fever and strangles. For more information on these diseases and biosecurity measures, visit the horse section of the OMAF website.