Posted on July 28, 2009 by Scott Weese

Piroplasmosis Makes Horses Vanish

TheHorse.com reports that a third horse that tested positive for the reportable, foreign disease equine piroplasmosis (Theileri equi infection) was illegally removed from quarantine in Kansas... in June. Two other horses were broken out of quarantine shortly after they were diagnosed in June, and have yet to be found. These horses could be anywhere spreading this disease, and may result in the US losing its piroplasmosis-free status. The latest OIE report indicates that the third horse was reported missing the day after the other two horses. That's one more potentially infectious horse on the loose, and one more threat.

This appears to be a good example of what can happen when you combine recklessness, carelessness and stupidity (perhaps with a little bit of laziness on the side). Any effective quarantine needs to be properly implemented and monitored. Any breaches of quarantine need to be immediately identified, reported, investigated and communicated. I haven't seen any previous information about the missing Kansas horse; I can't find anything in earlier press releases or other statements. If this information was withheld, it shows pretty blatant disregard for effective communications. People need to know when there are disease threats. Knowing that a horse with piroplasmosis is on the loose is important because this horse has to have gone somewhere - possibly a public stable or other facility with other horses. If people knew a horse was broken out of quarantine one night and someone showed up at the barn with a horse the next day, they could ask some questions or call the authorities to help protect their farm and their animals. Without this information, they're helpless.

(Image source: www.funnyphotos.net.au)

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Posted on June 19, 2009 by Scott Weese

FBI Chasing Piroplasmosis Quarantine Escapees

TheHorse.com reports that two horses from Missouri that tested positive for equine piroplasmosis were removed from their quarantined stable without authorization on Wednesday night. Quarantine and testing of horses on the farm were implemented following identification of piroplasmosis in a Quarter Horse at a Missouri equine clinic. Five other positive horses were also identified and were euthanized with their owners' consent. The only other alternatives for piroplasmosis-positive horses in the US are long-term quarantine until negative or shipping them to a country where the disease is endemic. The Missouri Department of Agriculture, local officials and FBI are investigating.

Taking horses from a reportable disease quarantine is incredibly stupid.

Firstly, someone's going to notice. The authorities know what horses are quarantined and who owns them. No one has said who is suspected to have cut the padlocks to get at the horses.  I'm not saying that it was necessarily the owners who did it, but who would go to such effort to break an infected horse out of quarantine? I don't imagine they thought that the FBI would be involved.

Secondly, the horses are not being quarantined just because someone's trying to give the owners a hard time. This is being done because of the presence of a severe disease that is not normally present in the US. While it's not highly transmissible, the fact that multiple horses on this farm were postiive certainly shows that transmission can occur, be it through the appropriate tick vectors or other routes (e.g. contaminated needles).

Let's hope the people who took the horses come to their senses or get caught soon, so that the disease is not spread further. I assume that if there are other horses stabled where the escapees are eventually found, that those horses will need to be quarantined as well. I wonder if the people who might be harbouring the fugutive horses have thought of that.

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