Equine disease surveillance: quarterly summary.
Journal: The Veterinary record
Summary
# Equine Disease Surveillance Quarterly Summary Editorial Between October and December 2015, a collaborative surveillance programme involving Defra, the Animal Health Trust and the British Equine Veterinary Association documented concerning disease activity across the UK and internationally. Multiple occurrences of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) were reported throughout the UK during this period, whilst the emergence of dourine in Botswana and equine infectious anaemia (EIA) in Greece highlighted the shifting geographical distribution of serious equine pathogens globally. This quarterly reporting system provides UK-based equine professionals with timely intelligence on notifiable and emerging diseases, enabling practitioners to inform biosecurity protocols, client communications, and clinical decision-making. For farriers, veterinarians, physiotherapists and other equine specialists, maintaining awareness of both endemic disease activity and novel introductions to previously unaffected regions is essential for early case recognition and preventing spread within yards and competition circuits. Regular consultation of these surveillance summaries supports proactive rather than reactive disease management at both individual and population levels.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Veterinarians and equine practitioners should maintain awareness of emerging disease reports, particularly EHV-1 activity in the UK and the geographic expansion of dourine and EIA
- •Regular surveillance reports from Defra, Animal Health Trust, and BEVA provide important epidemiological data to inform biosecurity and testing protocols
- •Clinical suspicion for notifiable diseases should prompt appropriate testing and reporting, given the ongoing geographic range of these conditions
Key Findings
- •Multiple reports of equine herpesvirus type 1 documented in the UK during the reporting period
- •First cases of dourine identified in Botswana
- •First cases of equine infectious anaemia identified in Greece
- •Quarterly surveillance testing summary provided for October to December 2015