AAEP Develops Guidelines for Infectious Disease Outbreaks

The Infectious Disease Task Force of the American Association of Equine Practitioners has developed guidelines for use by veterinarians who encounter contagious infectious disease in horses.

Equine Infectious Disease Outbreak: AAEP Control Guidelines offer recommendations for the control of suspected cases of infectious respiratory tract, neurologic, diarrheal, and vesicular disease. The sign-based guidelines provide a detailed action plan for veterinarians once a case of infectious disease is suspected. The guidelines offer measures to control the spread of infection, diagnostic testing options, and communication considerations.

Highlights from the guidelines include biosecurity instructions in English and Spanish for horse caretakers, recommendations for the implementation of a management plan before an outbreak occurs, and disease-specific guidelines.

The guidelines are available to AAEP members through the members-only area of the AAEP Web site at www.aaep.org.

Reprinted from AVMA News Bulletin, October 31, 2006