HBLB 2010 Codes of Practice Published
HBLB publishes 2010 Codes of Practice for prevention and control of equine infectious diseases
The Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) www.hblb.org.uk
has published its Codes of Practice for 2010. These are concerned with the prevention and control of equine infectious diseases which represent a potential major threat to equine breeding in Britain and include:
• Contagious equine metritis organism CEMO, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa;
• Equine viral arteritis (EVA)
• Equine herpesvirus (EHV)
• Equine coital exanthema (ECE)
• Equine infectious anaemia (EIA)
• Guidelines on strangles
For the 2010 breeding season several revisions have been made to the recommendations relating to the Contagious Equine Metritis organism (CEMO), including:
• the introduction of Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing of swabs for the CEMO, as an alternative to culture
• the removal of ‘low risk status’ for USA and Canada, for the screening of mares, following the 2008/9 outbreak of the disease in those countries
• changes to the CEMO swabbing protocol for ‘high risk’ walking-in mares
Chris Rea, Chairman of the Codes of Practice Sub-Committee, said:
“The Codes of Practice have been a first choice of reference for over 30 years and have undoubtedly contributed to the relatively low level of infectious disease affecting the equine breeding population in Britain.”
The Codes of Practice will be sent to TBA members in December, in the meantime should anyone want an advance copy, or CEM Mare certificates, please contact Stanstead House.
The Codes of Practice will be available from today in booklet format and on the HBLB website in PDF format at www.hblb.org.uk
The HBLB also provides a laboratory approval scheme. Those laboratories that are approved for testing for the CEMO, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa for the 2010 season will be listed on the HBLB website – www.hblb.org.uk
– from 1 December 2009.