AAEP BIOSECURITY GUIDELINES


2. Management of premises not in primary isolation perimeter a. Exposure assessment and risk assignment of equids without clinical disease i. An equid that had direct contact (nose to nose, shared fence-line) with a sick equid is at high risk for infection.


ii. An equid that may have had indirect contact (communal water trough, shared wash rack, shared equipment, common personnel) with a sick equid is moderate risk


iii. An equid that had no direct or indirect contact with a sick equid is low risk


iv. Exposure assessments may vary dependent upon disease agent. In the case of a disease such as influenza that is transmitted over longer distances than a bacterium such as Streptococcus equi subsp. equi, high risk equids may include all equids sharing air space (ie in same barn or transported in the same trailer/van) as affected equid(s).


b. Restrictions on equid movement during an outbreak i. Restrictions on equids will vary dependent upon risk assignment and the disease agent


ii. The state veterinarian will be in charge of determining restrictions on at- risk equids in the event of a reportable disease.


iii. The event veterinarian and management should work together to determine restrictions in cases of non-reportable potentially contagious diseases.


iv. In general, equids that are at high risk would have more stringent restrictions and monitoring than low risk equids. Following biosecurity procedures similar to those used in isolation for higher risk equids is recommended to prevent further disease spread. Higher risk equids should be exercised separately, preferably in a different arena, from equids in lower risk groups.


v. Temporary movement restrictions may be necessary until assessment of the situation is complete, especially in higher risk or higher consequence disease situations, after which permission for allowing certain movements on the premises may occur. Policies should be communicated, preferably face to face, to those impacted, and enforcement of policies should be consistent and fair.


vi. A plan for promptly closing the premises should be developed in the event it is needed, with procedures outlined to redirect personnel resources to close and lock gates, block roadways to and from the premises with barriers, and monitor entry and exit of vehicles


vii. It is essential that facility management be aware of what equids are on the premises and where they are stabled. This ideally is a routine practice but is especially important in an outbreak. This may require barn to barn inspection and documentation.


viii. A check-out protocol is necessary for equids whose owners are given permission to move them from the premises. A basic check-out process includes follow-up owner/agent contact information (cell phone number and email address), documentation of equid identification, and the intended destination for the equid. This simplifies follow-up if necessary.


12  Copyright AAEP – Revised 2017


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