References
Horserace Betting Levy Board: codes of practice update
Abstract
This article summarises the main updates to the Horserace Betting Levy Board codes of practice for 2022. The main points discussed include: the addition of a section on preparation of mares for covering in response to mares being presented with polymerase chain reaction tests for contagious equine metritis only, without appropriate gynaecological preparation and bacteriology; a clarification regarding the swabbing of at-risk or suspected horses for contagious equine metritis; a revision to the guidelines for strangles, highlighting the fact that negative serology tests do not always guarantee absence of the carrier state of strangles; new guidelines on piroplasmosis and the significance of the disease in the UK; an update to the equine influenza vaccine requirements; and the clarification regarding the diagnosis of West Nile fever and the potential significance of the disease to the UK. The importance of constant vigilance regarding infectious diseases and adherence to strict biosecurity protocols is highlighted and the threat of exotic diseases, which could potentially emerge in the UK, is briefly discussed.
The Horserace Betting Levy Board codes of practice was set up in 1977 in response to an outbreak of the venereal disease contagious equine metritis on stud farms in Newmarket and in other counties. It was caused by the until then unknown bacterium Taylorella equigenitalis and caused a severe acute, purulent endometritis and cervicitis in mares resulting from mating with carrier stallions and likely lateral spread by iatrogenic contamination (Greenwood and Allen, 2020).
The codes of practice set out pre-breeding swabbing protocols for mares and stallions, which acted as a screening process for the Taylorella organism and had the added benefit of detecting the carrier state of other venereal pathogens, most importantly Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeroginosa, certain strains of which can also cause venereal disease. As well as laboratory detection of these organisms, the codes of practice set out routine hygiene and biosecurity guidelines to be implemented on stud farms to prevent lateral spread of the pathogens, which brought about a marked improvement in general hygiene on stud farms and an increased awareness of the potential for spread of infection, resulting in a much reduced incidence of venereal infections in mares and stallions (Allen and Wilsher, 2017).
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting UK-VET Equine and reading some of our peer-reviewed content for veterinary professionals. To continue reading this article, please register today.