AAEP BIOSECURITY GUIDELINES


2. If facilities are not available for handwashing, hand sanitizer containing at least 61% alcohol should be used and allowed to dry for 10-15 seconds. Hand wipes should be available to remove all organic debris prior to using hand sanitizer. Caution: avoid exposure to open flame due to flammability.


3. Extensive information about hand hygiene is available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


4. Also, please see this article from the AAEP proceedings on hand hygiene protocols in the equine veterinary setting


e. Equipment and Supplies i. Equid-specific equipment (feed tubs, water buckets, halters, pitchfork, wheelbarrow, etc) should be clearly identified as belonging to an individual equid and should be used only for that equid or the group of equids. Ideally, color coded buckets and cleaning equipment should be used for groups of equids.


ii. Shared equipment (lead shanks, lip chains, bits/bridles, twitches, dose syringes, thermometers, grooming supplies) should be cleaned of organic debris and disinfected between equids. 1. All equipment should be thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned with a detergent and water, rinsed, disinfected and followed by a final rinse. This should be done in an area with minimal foot and vehicular traffic flow that can be cleaned and disinfected after this procedure (i.e. not in a grazing area, but on a solid surface close to a drain).


2. Cloth items (saddle cloths, towels, bandages, halter fleeces, rub or wipe rags) should be laundered and thoroughly dried between each use. (Disinfectant may be added to rinse water, but an additional rinse cycle must be included to remove disinfectant residue.)


3. Tack and other equipment which can’t be completely disinfected should be cleaned as well as possible and then placed in the sun as sunlight can inactivate many potentially infectious agents.


iii. Equipment that cannot be effectively disinfected (sponges, brushes) should not be shared between equids. Multiple dose medications (oral pastes/ophthalmic ointments, etc.) should be labeled for use by a specific equid and not shared.


iv. Ointments/topical medications should be removed from larger tubs and aliquoted into smaller containers for use on individual equids.


v. Horse trailers and vans should be cleaned and disinfected between uses even if there is no known risk of disease. In general, protocols for cleaning stalls can be adapted to the cleaning of trailers and vans. Mats should be removed to allow wood plank floors to dry. Surfaces around the feeders and cross ties should be given special consideration due to contact with potentially infectious nasal secretions.


6  Copyright AAEP – Revised 2017


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