On 1/7/2009 11:32 AM Linda Mittel wrote:
> I was wondering what you have heard regarding the overall thoughts about
testing mares that were not exposed, but the owners are concerned and want to
rule it out?

I haven't heard much. At this point, as long as the mares were bred by
transported semen, and the stallion was tested negative, there probably
isn't much need to do any testing, at least until they are presented for
breeding again. As you are aware, the CEMO can be resident within the
mare's genitalia - most commonly the clitoral fossa and sinuses - and
not really present elsewhere. The chances of transmission from that
region outside of breeding live cover (or poor biosecurity during
multiple AI's on different mares) is pretty small. If the owner wanted
to test, then certainly they could, but probably the major concern would
be the asymptomatic carrier mare that is pregnant and then transmits the
CEMO to the foal, who in turn can transmit it when older and being bred.
Those mares, being pregnant now, are limited in the degree of swabbing
that can be done - clitoral only - until they foal. Obviously, the more
possible carriers that are tested, the less likely that it would be
missed "in the wild". Let's face it, if it hadn't been for the fact that
the stallion that was originally identified as carrying the CEMO was
undergoing testing for semen export, we probably still wouldn't know it
was out there...

> Is there any talk to testing stallions particularly QH and paints as a
advertising possibilty and also have mares tested pre-breeding.
>

We actually discussed and promoted this in the article we wrote on CEM a
few weeks ago (which can be seen on our site at
http://www.equine-reproduction.com/articles/CEM.shtml), wherein we observed:

"It is clear therefore that the importation criteria for entry into
North America are adequate. What is of question is the domestic testing
criteria. Some organizations in other countries have standard testing
criteria for breeding stallions that are implemented at the beginning of
each breeding season^* (17)* . Had the index stallion in the December
2008 outbreak in Kentucky not been going through testing prior to having
semen frozen for export, it is questionable if the outbreak would have
been identified before a significant number of animals were infected.
This does raise the question of whether there should be a mandatory
testing protocol for breeding animals - specifically stallions - that
needs to be performed at the beginning of each breeding season. Such a
testing protocol could include screening of stallions for EVA and other
pathogenic venereal diseases. It may be that this can only be a
voluntary screening process, but it would demonstrate a responsible
breeder if such a screening were performed and the results publicized in
their stallion advertisements - and that in itself would be good publicity!"

Citation 17: Horserace Betting Levy Board (UK) Codes of Practice on
Equine Diseases - http://www.hblb.net/document.php?id=43

I don't see why such testing should be limited solely to QH's and
Paints. As all the sexually transmitted diseases - CEM, Pseudomonas
aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and EVA being the major ones - can be
transmitted by and between all breeds of horses, there is an equal
degree of risk present throughout. It is the Thoroughbreds in the UK and
other parts of the world that adhere voluntarily to the HBLB Codes of
Practice, but it would have probably picked up the current positive
index animal before he transmitted the bacterium to others had that Code
of Practice been popular among other breeds and sectors of the industry
within North America as well.

For what it's worth, we at Equine-Reproduction.com are implementing
testing boarding stallions for CEM upon arrival at our facility this
breeding season. We have always required EVA testing and swabbing for
other bacteria, but the CEMO requires a more specialised swabbing,
transport and culture protocol, so I guess it's time to include it as
other sectors of the industry elsewhere in the world already have! More
fool us North Americans for being behind in the game - let's hope it's
not too late!

Regards to all,

Jos Mottershead
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